


Avenge and Conquer

by arikylo



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy
Genre: Dark!Luke, Emotional Manipulation, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Gen, Mind Manipulation, Murder, Torture, dark!AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-12-30
Updated: 2016-01-03
Packaged: 2018-03-04 08:35:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 16
Words: 138,585
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3058115
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arikylo/pseuds/arikylo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Alliance has fallen into a very well laid trap and now Luke has no choice but to hand himself over to Vader. But what does the father have in store for the son? Can Luke handle the torture and the ruthless tactics of the Empire or will he be forced to surrender and embrace the dark side? </p>
<p>The struggle between the light and the dark is strenuous, relationships crumble and all is looking bleak for the Alliance.</p>
<p>Dark!AU set after ESB.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Just a little bit of background info before we begin. This is set almost a year after the events at Bespin. Han is frozen in carbonite and is being taken to Jabba the Hutt. Lando and Chewie are in the Falcon and are off searching for Han. Luke and Leia are with the Alliance.
> 
> This is an au story so it does not follow the canon storyline after the Empire Strikes Back or the EU (although I may end up using a few characters from it).
> 
> Obviously, Star Wars does not belong to me. I do, however, own the few planets and OCs that I invented for this story.
> 
> I don't have a beta reader so my apologies if there are any mistakes. I checked it as best as I could. Enjoy!

People were rushing around like crazy as Luke strode swiftly down one of the corridors of Home One. There were small red lights flashing on the walls and a voice on the intercom crackling out the required preparations for their impending jump to lightspeed.

Luke rounded a corner and almost crashed straight into a young, dark-haired man in a pilot’s jumpsuit who was looking incredibly lost and panic stricken. The man apologised profusely as he jumped out of Luke’s way and continued to apologise as Luke rushed down the hallway, not even looking back. But before he rounded yet another corner, Luke paused and glanced back at the pilot who was standing helplessly in the middle of the corridor.

“That way!” he yelled, pointing to one of the side corridors further down. The man gave Luke a smile and rushed off in the direction of the hangar bay, mumbling rounds of thanks as he went.

Luke lingered a moment, hoping the pilot would be okay. He remembered how nervous he had felt the first time he’d flown for the Alliance. The first time was always the worst, but some people just weren’t cut out for the kind of pressure such short notice attacks created. Or at least he assumed they were heading for battle. It would be good to find out.

Luke turned himself around and continued on his path, not having to go very far before he swerved into a side room - and once again almost crashed into a number of very busy looking people. At least one of them was familiar this time.

“Leia!” Luke exclaimed as he caught the brunette by the arm. “What’s going on?”

“We’ve received a distress signal from Arka III,” Leia explained quickly as they moved over to the main table in the centre of the command room. “We believe it to be from one of our scout groups returning from a mission to Tatooine. The signal implies an Imperial ambush. We’re going to help them out.”

“Wait a moment,” Luke said, holding up a hand and trying to take in all the information he had just been fed at rapid pace. “Arka III? I didn’t realise our scout groups were stopping over in that sector.”

“They weren’t,” Leia replied grimly. “Although their preprogrammed hyperspace jump would have led them past there. The Imperials must have used an Interdictor cruiser to pull them out of hyperspace.”

“But -” Luke sputtered.

“- that would mean the Imperials knew the route of our ships,” Leia finished, pulling up some files on her datapad. “Yes, we know. It’s troubling news and it’s got everyone in a panicked frenzy.”

“Well, that’s certainly true,” Luke muttered, eyeing the people in the room scrambling around for datapads and other equipment. Some were speaking rapidly into commlinks and others were rushing in and out of the door, obviously carrying important messages to and from other parts of the ship. “So, what’s our plan of attack?”

“We’ll be making the jump to hyperspace in about…” Leia paused to check the time on her datapad. “Ten minutes. Full attack formation. It won’t take us long to get there. The signal was received not too long ago so we’re assuming the scouts will still be engaged with the Imperials.”

“I see,” Luke murmured, picking up a datapad and eyeing the planned course to Arka III. It would take them roughly twelve minutes from their current position to reach the planet and their scout group via hyperspace.

“And speaking of time,” Leia said quickly, putting a hand on Luke’s arm and guiding him towards the door. “You should be getting to your X-Wing, Rogue Leader.”

“Of course,” Luke muttered as he stumbled out of the doorway and back into the busy traffic of the corridor.

Leia turned to face him and gave him a small smile. “Good luck and stay safe, Luke,” she whispered, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek.

“You too,” Luke replied, before heading in the direction of the hangar bay and hoping that someone had started preparing his X-Wing for him.

 

.

.

.

 

Luke leaned back in his seat as he watched the stars streak past him, quickly evolving into the mottled blue colour of hyperspace. The jump had been made just in time and they were now blazing straight for Arka III and, most likely, a vicious space battle against the Empire.

Luke chewed absently on his lip as he gazed straight ahead, letting his eyes glaze over and allowing the Force to take him. There was peace in the mystical energy formed from the presence of all living things. It was harder to feel in hyperspace, but it was there nonetheless. It calmed his mind and, soon enough, his body too. The levels of panic on Home One had been almost overwhelming and Luke had been relieved to finally jump into the cockpit of his starfighter, welcoming the solidarity like an old friend. He would’ve thought that by now the Alliance would have had these short notice jumps down pat. But, once again, he had been proven wrong and the Rebels had struggled to get their act together in time. Sometimes he wondered how the Alliance had even survived this long. It was probably because of Leia. She was always one of the few that could keep their heads clear whenever strife arose. Without Leia, the Alliance would have fallen long ago.

Artoo quickly warbled something, pulling Luke out of his meditation. He glanced at the screen for the translation, skimming the lines of glowing red font quickly. Only two more minutes until they reached their destination.

Luke looked up again at the dizzying pattern of hyperspace. There was a feeling at the back of his mind, gnawing at him, making him feel sick. Something about this was wrong. But he couldn’t quite place what.

As he reached for the lever to pull the ship out of hyperspace, he mentally crossed his fingers and hoped that they could handle whatever they faced upon arrival.

Three… two… one. Luke pulled down on the lever and the blue swirls of hyperspace quickly transformed into a streaking starline before coming to an abrupt halt, revealing…

Nothing.

Luke frowned as he gazed ahead of him. There was literally nothing there except for the bright shimmering lights of far off stars flickering against the black of space and the round, green orb that was the planet Arka III. Luke did a double check of his scopes. Yep. Nothing there.

He flicked on his commlink. “Home One, this is Rogue Leader. Do you copy?”

The commlink crackled for a moment, then Leia’s voice came through. “This is Home One. We copy. Luke, are your scopes negative as well?”

“All scopes are negative,” Luke confirmed, doing a triple check of the equipment in front of him. “There’s nothing here.”

The commlink crackled again, although this time it was not Leia who spoke, but Admiral Ackbar. “All wings return to Home One. I repeat: return to Home One.”

“Copy that.” Luke flicked his commlink off and turned his ship in the direction of the large Mon Calamari cruiser.

Yes. Something definitely wasn’t right here.

 

.

.

.

 

The doors slid open with a faint _whoosh_ and Luke once again stepped into the white-walled command room. The occupants of the room, to his mild surprise, were actually looking quite calm, although there were a few still rushing around transmitting messages to the rest of the squadron. Leia looked up as he entered and beckoned him over.

“What’s going on?” he asked as he stood beside Leia at the table.

“To be honest, we don’t know,” came the gravelly voice of Admiral Ackbar. The Mon Calamari looked the most stressed out of the group surrounding the table. Through the Force, Luke could pick up on varying degrees of panic, stress and confusion emanating from the military commander. He could understand why. The situation was a mess, although it was not as bad as it could have been.

Luke picked up a datapad and examined the sensory data it was displaying as the Admiral continued to speak.

“All scopes are negative. There are no signs of any Imperial forces, let alone our scout group.”

“What about beyond the horizon?” Luke asked, glancing up at Ackbar.

Ackbar shook his head. “As far as we can tell, Arka III’s orbit is devoid of spaceships, although we’re sending out a squadron to investigate. They should return within the hour.”

Luke nodded, frowning down at the datapad. So, someone had sent out a distress signal claiming an Imperial attack and then vanished into thin air, along with the Imperial fleet? It just didn’t make sense. Something wasn’t right here and he knew it; that nagging feeling from the Force was back. They needed more information.

“You’re sure the distress signal was one of ours?” Luke asked, putting the datapad back down on the table.

Leia nodded. “They were using the right code and frequency. We’ve double checked and triple checked. The signal definitely came from an Alliance ship and it definitely came from Arka III. We just don’t know what happened to the ship and its crew.”

Luke looked around the table, detecting a strong sense of unease and confusion from most people. Mon Mothma, who was situated next to Admiral Ackbar, looked deep in thought, her brows knitted and jaw tight. Admiral Ackbar was still emanating a great amount of panic and stress, but was doing a pretty good job of not showing it and Leia was being her typical self: calm, confident and clear minded, with a touch of annoyance thrown in due to the fact that they didn’t know what was going on. Luke sighed. It was definitely a puzzle.

Behind him, the doors swished open again and a young cadet strode in, his military uniform looking a little disheveled, no doubt from the hectic events of earlier.

“Admiral Ackbar, sir,” he said, waiting for an acknowledgement from the military commander. When he received it he stepped forward and continued speaking. “The scanning crews have picked up a signal coming from Arka III. They believe it to be our scout group who must have gone down during the attack.”

He handed Ackbar a datapad. The Mon Calamari studied it furtively, then placed it down on the table and looked up to address the group. “We must find out what happened.”

The others nodded.

“I suggest we send a small squad down to the surface to investigate,” the Admiral continued. There was a slight murmur around the table, then nods of agreement.

Before Ackbar could continue speaking, Luke spoke up. “I’ll go,” he said. He didn’t know what made him say it. It just felt right.

Ackbar nodded. “You would be well suited for the mission. Your skills will be required.” He turned to Leia. “And I’m assuming you would like to accompany him, Your Highness?”

Leia nodded. Luke was about to protest but was cut off by a glare from Leia. It was her ‘I’m fully capable of looking after myself and making my own decisions, thank you very much’ look and Luke knew better than to argue with her when she was wearing it.

Ackbar turned his gaze back to Luke. “I will arrange for a small squadron to be sent down with you.”

“No,” Luke said quickly. “Just Leia and I - and Threepio and Artoo. We’ll need their scanners. No one else.”

It was Mon Mothma who spoke this time. “This is a dangerous operation, Commander Skywalker. We do not know what lies on the planet’s surface. Without back up you could potentially endanger the mission and the lives of the scouts, not to mention yours and Leia’s.”

“I understand that,” Luke replied. “But I have a strong feeling about this. I will not go down there with a squadron of troops. Leia and I can handle this quickly, quietly and efficiently. You can trust us to do that.”

“I know we can,” Mon Mothma replied. “So, this is your call, Commander. But know that it will be on your head if anything goes wrong. That scout group is made up of many important members of the Alliance - tacticians and technicians we cannot afford to lose. It will be your responsibility to bring them back safely.”

Luke nodded. “I understand.”

 

.

.

.

 

“I don’t think Mon Mothma was too pleased with your decision about the mission,” Leia said as she sat down next to Luke at the control panel of the shuttle. They were almost to the surface of Arka III and Leia could just begin to make out the green, swirling canopy below.

“I don’t think anyone was too pleased,” Luke murmured in response as he flicked a couple of switches and brought them smoothly through a layer of cloud. A continuous sea of forest opened up before them, clearer now that they had passed through most of the white clouds and mist of Arka III’s atmosphere.

Leia hummed in agreement then was silent for a moment as she contemplated her next words. “To be honest, Luke, I don’t know whether I’m too sure about your decision either.”

Luke glanced at her quickly, his mouth open as if to speak but she cut him off to explain herself.

“It’s not that I don’t trust your decision,” she said quickly. “I trust you with my life, Luke, and you know that. I just don’t understand why.”

Luke studied her for a moment and she wondered if he was using his Jedi abilities to gauge her honesty. It sometimes made her uncomfortable to know that he could sense how she was feeling. At least she had nothing to hide.

Luke turned back to the console, nodding slowly as he flicked a couple more switches and checked the dials. “I’m not quite sure I understand it either, Leia,” he said quietly. “I just had this feeling like I knew it was the right thing to do.”

They slipped into a not quite uncomfortable silence as Luke prepared them for landing. Arka III was so thickly covered in forest that the only place that they could safely land was a small clearing located a couple of kilometres from the crashed scout ship. That meant they had a fair bit of walking to do. Leia didn’t really mind though. After all the diplomatic work she had been doing for the Alliance, she was quite looking forward to a bit of exercise and a nice view. The only thing that made her a bit apprehensive about the trip was the fact that Arka III was pretty much uncharted. More specifically, there were no records of native flora and fauna, meaning that there could be a number of dangerous creatures or plants out there that they wouldn’t even know about.

Leia gritted her teeth. She had been through worse. And at least she had Luke to protect her. Not that she needed protecting, of course; she was fully capable of handling tough situations by herself. Although she had to admit that a Jedi would be much more useful than her diplomatic skills in this situation. She supposed her blaster might not be too much use either, but she strapped it in its holster on her hip nonetheless and chucked a couple of spare power packs in her knapsack before hooking her arm through the strap and slinging it on her back. She looked to Luke, who was doing the same thing.

“All ready?” she asked.

Luke nodded as he tightened the straps of his backpack and moved to the door of the shuttle. Leia sighed internally. He had been quiet ever since she had mentioned her uncertainty about his plan.

She hurried over to the door and put her hand over the release before Luke could get there. He looked at her questioningly when she didn’t press it.

“Luke, before we go,” she said, looking him in the eye, “I just want you to know that I have faith in you, and in your decision.”

“I know you do,” he responded quietly, turning to face the door.

“Then what troubles you?”

Luke sighed, dropping his head to his chest for a moment before turning to face her. “I just have a bad feeling about this,” he said.

She frowned. “I thought you said this was the right thing to do.”

“I did,” Luke responded. “And I still believe it is. But my concerns are not about this mission. I’ve had a feeling about this entire operation ever since we received the distress signal from the scout group. Something’s not right here, Leia, and I don’t know what it is. That’s what bothering me.” He paused for a moment as if in deep thought, then his eyes shot straight to Leia’s. “Whatever happens out there,” he said, gesturing to the door and beyond, “is meant to happen. You must promise me that you’ll do whatever I say.”

“Luke -”

“Promise me, Leia,” he said, his eyes glowing with a mix of emotions that she couldn’t quite place. What did he know? What did he feel about this?

“Luke, I don’t understand!” she cried.

He continued to stare at her intensely and as he did so, she noticed a particular emotion flutter to the surface: sadness. It was there, hidden in the glimmer of his eyes in the low lighting.

“Luke, what’s going on?” she asked, starting to panic now. “What’s going to happen? I - I don’t understand!”

He reached out and rested his hands on her shoulders, looking her straight in the eye. “I don’t know,” he whispered. “But whatever it is, you must promise me that you’ll do as I say.”

She continued to look at him, distraught.

“Please, Leia. Promise me.”

She nodded, trying to regain control of her emotions. “I promise, Luke,” she mumbled.

Luke smiled slightly, although it might have been a grimace warped by the poor lighting of the shuttle. Whatever it was, it was soon gone as Luke reached over and pressed the door release, the glint of sadness no longer present in his eyes but replaced by a calm confidence and grim determination. He looked at her again as the door swished open, then turned his focus on the outside world and climbed out of the shuttle.

Leia straightened her camouflage jacket and paused for a moment to compose herself, then followed Luke out of the shuttle.

She had a feeling she was going to regret this.

 

.

.

.

 

They were about a kilometre in when they ran into their first dilemma.

It seemed that astromech droids were not very well suited to forest travel, especially when said forest was littered with fallen trees, brambles and low-creeping vines, although those problems were easy enough to work through when a lightsaber was involved. No, the issue at the moment was that a certain R2 unit had fallen into a rather large hole and in his attempt to get out, had accidentally set a nearby tree on fire when he had ignited his jet propulsion system. Now there were at least three trees aflame and all were spewing out a noxious-looking, foul-smelling, black smoke.

Luke spluttered as he lifted the front of his poncho to cover his mouth, muttering a curse under his breath. Why hadn’t Artoo just asked for his help? They could have avoided this entire disaster and been on their way in a matter of moments. But no. The little droid had once again been over-confident in his abilities and had attempted to free himself unaided.

Luke couldn’t help but smile, though. Artoo had such character, and if that smoke wasn’t so disorienting, he might have even laughed at the whole situation. He coughed again, harder this time. They really needed to put that fire out before it spread even further.

Artoo whistled and rolled towards the trees, now safely free of the hole. He extended a nozzle and began spraying the flaming trees with his in-built fire extinguisher. Threepio was standing some feet back, yabbering something at the droid but Luke’s attention was elsewhere. Leia was crouched on the ground, searching through her backpack and coughing violently.

He rushed over to her and tried to drag her away from the rapidly spreading smoke, but was met with heavy resistance.

“Leia, this stuff’s most likely toxic! You have to get out of here,” he yelled urgently, pulling her to her feet. He snatched the water bottle from her hand that she had removed from her knapsack and pushed her lightly away from him. “I can handle this. Just get out of the smoke.”

Leia coughed again and Luke thought she was going to refuse, but she just nodded slightly and started stumbling into the forest, still sputtering.

Luke turned again to the flaming trees, unscrewing the lid of the bottle and calming his mind with the Force. He took a few deep breaths, using the Force to cleanse his body of the poison and then started forward.

Artoo had already managed to put out one tree but his fire extinguisher was beginning to run low and kept faltering as it was aimed at the next tree. Luke stepped up beside him and threw the water from the bottle onto the trees, using the Force to spread it evenly across the vicious flames. It worked for the most part, but a few branches were still smouldering threateningly. Luke reached out with the Force and summoned his own water bottle from his bag. Being careful to not use all of the water, he put out the rest of the flames in a matter of seconds and then stepped back out of the reach of the smoke, which was still spreading rapidly.

Artoo chirped something at Luke, sounding oddly chipper for a droid who had just set multiple trees on fire and almost poisoned his companions. Luke shot him a glare, although it was hollow. He wasn’t angry at Artoo, merely slightly irritated and still feeling a bit woozy from the smoke.

“You need to be more careful, Artoo,” he chided. “You know you can ask for my help if you need it.”

Artoo warbled something in return, his tones sounding mock offended.

“I don’t care about your pride, Artoo. Especially if it endangers Leia and I.”

Artoo’s response was lower this time, apologetic.

“It’s okay, Artoo,” Luke responded with a smile, patting the astromech on the head. “I’m not angry at you. Just think before you act in the future, okay?”

Artoo’s merry response was drowned out by the concerned tones of Threepio calling Luke’s name.

“Master Luke,” came the golden droid’s voice from somewhere further into the forest. “It’s Princess Leia! I believe she’s fallen unconscious!”

Luke sprinted off into the forest, pausing only momentarily to collect their backpacks, in the direction of Threepio’s voice. He arrived moments later to discover Leia sprawled out on the ground next to the trunk of a very large fallen tree. He dropped to his knees and reached out with the Force to assess her condition, laying a comforting palm on her forehead. She wasn’t well, but she would survive. The noxious smoke had infiltrated her lungs and fogged her mind, most likely causing severe hallucinations and balance problems until she had passed out. If she had taken in any more of the poison she would probably be dead.

Luke gently rolled her onto her back and placed his palms over her chest, calming his mind and his body. Then, reaching out with the Force, he began to guide the excess smoke out of her lungs, replacing it with clean, fresh air. Leia coughed violently but did not wake. The poison was still in her system and would take some time to leave - time that they didn’t have. If there were any Imperial forces on the planet then they would have been alerted to their position by the thick black smoke which was now rising above the tree tops. Luke gritted his teeth and delved deeper into the Force, letting his focus now lie on the poison flowing through Leia’s bloodstream.

Luke opened his eyes suddenly and jerked away from Leia, falling roughly against the trunk of a tree. He looked around, confused. Something had pulled him from his meditative trance, but he couldn’t figure out what.

He looked around again, frowning. The droids were standing a couple of metres away, watching him anxiously - well, as anxiously as droids could appear to be. It hadn’t been them, so what _had_ it been?

A cough came from in front of him and he quickly turned his gaze in the direction of Leia. She was starting to stir and as Luke reached out with the Force, he could feel that the poison was mostly gone. But he could also feel something else.

He glanced up slowly and motioned for the droids to remain quiet. Someone was coming. But not just one someone - lots of someones. Ten or more, approaching slowly from the direction of the smouldering trees and currently still out of sight. But not for much longer.

“Leia,” Luke whispered, shaking her gently. “Leia, wake up.”

 She groaned quietly, eyelids fluttering for a moment before once again lying closed. She was regaining consciousness. Slowly. Too slow. Luke gritted his teeth and made up his mind.

“Leia,” he whispered again, keeping his senses focused on the approaching band of people. He wasn’t sure if they were Imperials or Rebels, but they certainly didn’t seem to have good intentions; he could feel that as he touched their minds. “Leia, I have to go. There are people coming. They won’t harm you, I promise, but I have to go. Trust me, Leia.”

He paused a moment to brush some unruly strands of brown hair out of her face, hoping that he was right. Then he got up and turned away from Leia and the droids and the smoking trees and started heading into the forest.

“Master Luke!” Threepio called, as quietly as he could manage. “What about Artoo and I?”

Luke turned back to face them. “Stay with Leia,” he whispered, before he disappeared into the forest.

Threepio turned quickly to Artoo. “Oh, Artoo! He’s abandoned us!”

Artoo warbled something back, sounding particularly harsh.

“Well, I’m glad you have faith,” Threepio muttered, laying a golden arm on the astromech’s dome. “But it just doesn’t look - Oh my! We’re surrounded!”

And indeed they were.

 

.

.

.

 

Leia awoke to something hard jabbing her roughly in the ribs.

“Hey! Cut it out!” she snapped, sitting up quickly and dropping her hand to her blaster. But she stopped suddenly as she took in her current situation.

She was seated on the forest floor, her back pressed up against a fallen tree and surrounding her were ... the Rebel scouts! Dressed in camouflage uniforms, there were about ten or so of them forming a loose circle around her and the droids, with the exception of the one who had been poking her in the ribs. He had stepped back when she had awoken suddenly and now he was pointing his gun at her.

“It’s okay,” she murmured, raising a peaceful hand in his direction, but then her vision blurred and the world seemed to tilt. She blinked and rubbed her forehead. Now that the adrenaline of being startled awake had passed, she was beginning to feel a bit woozy. It must have been the smoke. The smoke…

Leia looked around but could not locate the trees that had caught fire. She frowned. Where was she?

Then she remembered. She remembered Luke pushing her away from the burning trees; she remembered nodding and stumbling off into the forest; she remembered leaning against a tree for a break; she remembered....

Leia gasped as her vision was suddenly taken by a vivid flashback.

_She paused, trying to catch her breath, but instead ended up heaving violently. She doubled over, her hand sliding down the rough bark of the tree. She felt the splinters stab into her hand, felt the blood start to trickle down her palm. But none of it mattered. Not when it was compared to the sight in front of her._

_She saw it first out of the corner of her eye; there was a movement in the shadows, not definable, but definitely there. She froze, her blood running cold through her veins as she listened. It was dead silent. Not a creature to be heard, not the rustle of the branches, not even the crackle of the burning trees which were not too far away._

_She shivered. The air was growing colder, darker, thicker, choking her, making her sweat and shake. She looked around and then she saw it._

_There. Right in the middle of the shadows that were now swirling uncontrolled throughout the forest, right in the middle of the densest, darkest black curls of darkness were two eyes - two glowing, swirling, fiery yellow eyes which glinted with a feral lustre. She gasped and stepped back - only to trip over a fallen tree and land painfully on her behind._

_She scrambled backwards, away from the yellow eyes which were growing closer with every passing second. But then her back hit something hard and rough and she knew she was cornered. The eyes lingered just behind the fallen tree that she had tripped over. Their yellow depths burned her, piercing into her very soul. She shied away from them but they were too powerful, too overwhelming. She couldn’t breathe. Her vision was going black._

_But then they were gone, disappearing back into the swirling darkness from whence they came. The air rang with the echoes of a scream that she hadn’t realised she had let out. She gulped in the cool air, taking deep breaths to fill her lungs and calm her down. Her hand fumbled around on the ground beside her for her water bottle. Soon enough her skin brushed against the cold, hard metal and she grabbed for it needily, opening it and tipping it to her mouth. The liquid slid easily down her throat, nice and warm and thick and oddly metallic tasting…. And then she was coughing it up, retching, because it wasn’t water. It was blood._

_She tossed the bottle as far away from her as she could. But then she saw her hands. The blood was there too - almost up to her elbows. She shrieked and started wiping it on her pants, trying to get rid of the red stain but only making it worse. Then she heard it: the deep, heavy breathing of a respirator - and a very familiar respirator at that._

_Leia looked up in horror. And there before her stood Darth Vader, dressed head to toe in black, his dark cape mingling with the shadows from which he stepped. His black, gloved hand was extended towards her and his breathing echoed for a moment before he rumbled:_

_“Come with me.”_

_Leia bolted - up and over the log she had been pressed up against and into the forest. She ran, looking back every now and then. The darkness was following her. She bounded over another log and whipped her head back to look over her shoulder. The shadows were catching up. They were almost at her heels. She turned her head back to her path but it was too late - she tripped over the large, fallen tree and tumbled onto the ground, her head colliding painfully with a large rock. And darkness took her._

Leia opened her eyes wide. Her breathing was heavy as she tried once again to make sense of her surroundings, although it was proving difficult with her eyes as blurred as they were. She scrunched them tight then opened them swiftly. And found that she was face to face with the barrel of a blaster. She frowned.

“Get up,” a rough voice snapped.

She looked to the man holding the weapon and was surprised to see him dressed in a Rebel uniform. But the shock soon turned to confusion as she remembered the situation she was in. Brow furrowed, she glanced around at the circle of Rebels. All of them had their blasters pointed at her, except for two who had their sights trained on Threepio and Artoo. What was going on?

“I said get up!” the man snapped again, grabbing her roughly by the arm and forcing her up off the ground.

“Stand down,” Leia said, letting the authoritative tones of her diplomatic training take over. “I am Princess Leia Organa, one of the leaders of the Rebel Alliance. There is no need for violence here; I am on your side.”

The men didn’t lower their blasters. Leia frowned, but she was interrupted before she could ask what was going on.

“We know who you are,” said the man in front of her, no doubt the leader of the group.

“Then you will put your weapons down,” Leia said with control, not letting her words turn into a command but not diminishing her authority either. She went to raise her hand in a peaceful sign of surrender but was stopped short as the blaster was once again shoved in her face.

“Hand over your weapons, Princess,” the leader spat, nodding his head towards the blaster strapped at her hip.

Leia raised her left hand slowly as she moved her right to her hip and undid the clasp. Slowly, so as not to aggravate the man, she grasped her blaster and pulled it out of its holster. The leader snatched it off of her in an instant.

“Bind her,” he said, turning to face his comrades and motioning towards Leia. “And put restraining bolts on the droids.”

“Excuse me?” Leia asked incredulously as two of the Rebels moved towards her, one of them pulling out a pair of metal binders. “Just what do you think you’re doing? I demand to know what’s going on here!”

“You’re being taken prisoner. That’s what’s going on here, _Your Majesty_ ,” the leader sneered. “Our commander wishes to speak with you.”

“Your commander?” Leia asked, confused.

The leader nodded. “Lord Vader.”

Leia’s eyebrows shot skyward. “ _Vader_?” she asked, her voice almost faltering from surprise.

The Rebels with the binders took her moment of shock to snap the metal cuffs around her wrists. She didn’t even struggle. If their commander was Vader then that meant…

“You’re spies?” she whispered hoarsely.

“You could say that,” replied the leader with a wicked smirk. He then turned to the others. “We’re heading back to base. Make sure she doesn’t try anything and keep an eye out for her companion.”

The others nodded and began to head back in the direction they had come. Leia was pushed roughly into line, with Threepio and Artoo close behind. Companion? Oh, of course. Luke.

Leia’s blood ran cold. Luke! Where was he? Through her poison induced haze and then the sudden shock at being betrayed she had completely forgotten about Luke. Is this what he had foreseen? That the Rebels they were searching for were actually Imperial spies? If so, then where was he? What was he planning? Then her mind changed track and she suddenly felt sick in the stomach. What if he was injured? What if he too had been knocked out by the toxic smoke?

But then she heard a voice inside her head, echoing and swirling as if murmured through a thick fog. It was Luke’s voice and he was telling her that he had to leave but it was going to be okay and she had to trust him.

And she did.

Leia kept her gaze forward as she clambered over various logs and vines, restricted by her binders but still making good time. She just hoped Luke was right.

 

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Luke moved silently across the leaf littered ground, keeping his distance from the band of Rebels turned Imperial agents yet remaining close enough that he could easily sense their emotions. Or Leia’s at least. The Imperial spies, or so they claimed to be, were incredibly hard to read. Every time Luke reached out with the Force he was met with nothing but that same ill intent he had felt when he had first noticed them approaching. He supposed it would be normal for Imperials to have a decent amount of dislike for the Rebels, but he would have thought he’d be able to sense more than that. It was like they were driven only by their hatred for traitors to the Empire. No doubt they would make loyal spies, but Luke just couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t right about them. A whole band of Imperials posing as Rebel scouts? It just didn’t make sense.

And as if to confirm his doubts, that nagging feeling from the Force had returned. It hadn’t really left since they had landed on Arka III but it was much stronger now.

Luke continued to track them back to their base, all the while keeping a check on Leia to make sure she was coping okay, which, of course, she was. She had initially been concerned about his disappearance but thankfully she had been conscious enough to hear his final words to her before he had departed and had calmed significantly upon recalling them. Now she was just plain annoyed at being fooled so easily and was wondering how the Imperials had managed to pull this stunt off. But behind her current musings, Luke could sense that she was worried about him. Where was he? Did he have a plan?

Luke recoiled instantly. He had gone too far. Emotions he could handle, but thoughts… He had no right to intrude upon someone’s inner beliefs without their permission. To him it felt like a dark side power, although he knew it wasn’t. But sometimes he just couldn’t help it. Especially with Leia. He constantly found himself slipping past her feelings into her thoughts without realising. It was like they had a connection.

Luke was brought back to the present as the band of soldiers began to slow to a halt. He quickly ducked down behind a tree and peered around the side. The were gathered around the entrance to the crashed scout ship. Or the ship that was _meant_ to be crashed. Luke crept a little closer to get a better look. It appeared that the ship had, in fact, not crashed but had instead been landed neatly in a small clearing just like he had done with their Alliance shuttle earlier.

Luke reached out with the Force to listen in on the small group’s conversation.

“Take her into the ship,” the leader commanded roughly, jerking a finger at Leia. “And the droids too.”

Leia didn’t struggle as she was forced up the ramp and into the ship by two strong men, the droids trailing behind her. The leader didn’t even watch her go. He turned to the others and continued barking out orders.

“You two,” he said, motioning to the two with the biggest blasters, “stand guard. Her companion’s most likely not far off. Don’t kill him. Vader wants him alive.”

“The rest of you, follow me,” the leader ordered and turned around, heading into the ship. The Imperials followed, leaving just the two guards outside the ship who moved to the perimeter of the clearing, blasters raised and ready.

Luke smirked. This would be easy.

 

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“Your plan will not work,” Leia said to the leader as he entered the room where she was being held, her voice calm but mild. “I will not tell your commander anything.”

“Oh, he knows that, Princess,” the leader sneered as he sat down opposite her. “But you will make fine bait for Skywalker.”

Leia kept her calm facade in check, but beneath the neutral expression she was beginning to panic. So, Vader was still after Luke. And he might even get him. No doubt, Luke was planning on springing her from her captors but did he realise that Vader was involved in all of this? Done correctly, this situation could easily fall into Imperial control and Luke could be captured. He would never willingly go to Vader, but with the right persuasion… perhaps in the form of a friend held at gunpoint? Leia shook her head. No, Luke would know what was going on. He would know the risks. He wouldn’t let the Imperials get the upper hand here.

She looked the leader dead in the eye and asked, “Skywalker?”

“Don’t play dumb, Princess. We know you have ties to that rebel scum. He’ll come looking for you and when he does, we’ll get him.”

Leia noticed the smirks on the other men’s faces as they looked around at each other and then at her.

“Skywalker’s no fool,” Leia said, chin raised. “He’ll know it’s a trap.”

“And he’ll come anyway,” the leader laughed. “Just wait and see, Your Highness.”

“Well, then I guess I’ll be waiting a while,” Leia replied cooly, eyebrows raised slightly, “because Skywalker’s currently on the other side of the galaxy. It’ll be a week at least before he hears of your betrayal and your dealings with the Empire. It’ll be even longer before he decides to come after me.”

“I don’t believe that for a second, sweetheart,” the leader said with a smirk. “He may not be on this planet right now, but I’d bet my ship that he’s up there with the Alliance about to be torn apart by the incoming Imperial fleet.”

Leia’s heart fluttered from relief at the revelation that they didn’t know Luke was on Arka III to immediate dread at the mention of the impending battle that the Alliance didn’t know was coming.

“I would’ve thought Vader would want him alive, not blown to pieces,” Leia said, keeping up her controlled appearance.

“Oh, indeed he does,” the leader said as he leaned back in his chair, the lilt of victory in his voice. Leia clenched her jaw. She very much wanted to punch that smirk off his face but her diplomatic training, as well as her common sense, kept her from doing so. “After Skywalker surrenders and joins the Empire, the Alliance will be destroyed, once and for all.”

“Luke will never join you!” Leia grit out, her temper rising. She was useless here, bound and kept under guard. She needed to warn the Alliance. She needed to get out of here.

“He will if your death is the penalty for his refusal.” The leader pulled a small blaster from his belt and pointed it at her. “And I’m beginning to tire of your stuck up voice, Your Highness. So why don’t you shut it for a bit, huh?”

Leia felt sick. The leader’s words were true. Luke would do anything to save her, even hand himself over to Vader. But she couldn’t let the Imperials know that.

She opened her mouth to speak again but closed it quickly as the leader placed his finger on the trigger.

“We wouldn’t want to splatter your brains too early now would we, Princess?” the leader hissed, his eyes glinting wickedly. “Although, I’m sure it really wouldn’t matter. Skywalker will come to us if he thinks he can save your life, so why should we tell him if you’re dead? And anyway, I’m sure Lord Vader isn’t foolish enough to actually let you go after Skywalker has surrendered. So, let’s face it, Princess, you’re going to die either way. Do you want it now or later?”

“How about never?” came a voice from the doorway.

Leia froze. She didn’t need to turn around to know who it was; she could recognise that voice anywhere. Instead, she watched the man in front of her as he jumped from his seat, blaster raised at the intruder. His mouth opened and closed as he tried to comprehend what was going on. When everything seemed to make sense to him, he turned his blaster back on Leia and inclined his head slightly towards the doorway.

“Skywalker. Nice of you to join us.”


	2. Chapter 2

“Let her go.” Luke’s voice was icy.

The leader smirked, giving a small signal to his troops, who quickly raised their blasters and pointed them at Leia.

“I’d give you our conditions, Skywalker, but I have a feeling you’ve been listening in.”

“Indeed,” Luke replied. He paused for a moment. Perhaps he was trying to catch her eye, but Leia still refused to turn around and face him. She didn’t want to see him surrender to the Imperials; she knew what they were capable of, what their torture involved. She would never wish it upon anyone, least of all sweet, innocent Luke.

She took a deep breath. She had to try. “Luke, don’t,” she whispered.

“Leia,” Luke said quietly. “Remember what I said to you. Remember your promise.”

“But, Luke!” Leia began, leaning forward in her chair to prevent herself from turning around.

“Leia, trust me.” His voice was soft and pleading.

She felt sick. This wasn’t about to happen. _This wasn’t about to happen_. She rested her forehead on the cold metal table. Oh, but it was.

“So, Skywalker,” came the arrogant voice of the Imperial spy leader. “What will it be?”

“I will surrender,” Luke replied, his voice confidently loud. “On one condition.”

“You are in no place to be making conditions, Skywalker,” the leader spat, shaking his blaster in Leia’s direction. “Join us or she dies!”

Leia heard Luke’s footsteps as he stepped forward. His voice once again held that iciness as he spoke. “No, my friend. _You_ are the one that is in no place to be making conditions.”

And by the apprehensive looks on the other men’s faces, she could only assume that Luke had pulled out his lightsaber. She hadn’t heard the _snap-hiss_ of its ignition though, so Luke was still playing it safe. He knew that any wrong move on his account could get her killed.

Unlike his men, the leader wasn’t so easily frightened. He raised an eyebrow at Luke, looking thoroughly unconcerned. “You do realise, Jedi, that if you make one wrong move….” He paused for a moment, eyeing the lightsaber in Luke’s hand. “She dies.”

“Of course,” Luke replied evenly. “But I assure you, there will be no deaths here today.” He placed his lightsaber on the table near Leia and glanced down at her but she still refused to meet his gaze. “I will accept your conditions and go with you willingly if - and only if - you let her go.”

The leader opened his mouth to speak but Luke cut him off.

“Vader is after me, not her. You have nothing to lose - you have your prize. And I will go without a fight. But only on my conditions.”

The leader stared at Luke, obviously contemplating his words. It would be stupid for him to refuse, Leia thought. Luke could make for a threatening opponent and she had a feeling that the Imperial didn’t want to get on the bad side of a Jedi, especially one with such a reputation for ruining the Empire’s schemes. Releasing her and taking Skywalker would result in Vader’s plans being fulfilled. Not releasing her may result in the loss of Skywalker and that would ultimately end in severe consequences for everyone. In the end, the choice was obvious, and Leia could see the decision form in the leader’s eyes.

“Very well,” the leader replied, lowering his blaster and ordering his men to do the same. “Release her,” he ordered the soldier with the key.

“No need,” Luke said, waving a hand.

Leia heard a click and then felt the binders slip from her wrists. She sat there, numb, not knowing what to do. She could feel Luke’s gaze on her, pleading with her to look at him. When she didn’t return his stare, Luke turned again to face the leader of the traitorous Rebels.

“Now, let her go.” Luke’s voice was commanding and authoritative, yet Leia could hear the sadness buried in his words.

Her vision was beginning to swim with unshed tears. But she would not let them fall. Leia squeezed her eyes shut and slowed her breathing, rooting herself the only way she knew how - through anger. Anger that stemmed from the destruction of her planet and now drove her hatred for the Empire. It was the only way she knew how to stay in control. The anger cleared her head and made situations clearer, made puzzles easily solvable, made tough circumstances easier to face. She opened her eyes and her vision was sharp once again.

“Give her her weapons back and her supplies,” Luke continued. “The droids will also be released with her and she will be allowed safe passage back to her ship. You will not pursue her as she returns to the Alliance, nor will you make any attempt to track her ship as it leaves the system. Understood?”

The leader nodded stiffly. “As you wish, Skywalker,” he said, inclining his head slightly in polite acknowledgement, although Leia could see the creases of displeasure at the edges of his thin mouth, no doubt from being ordered around by a prisoner. “Fetch the droids and the supplies,” he ordered, turning to one of his men.

Leia watched the man nod and leave the room. There were now only five Imperials in the room, including the leader. Five Imperials and two Rebels, one of which was a Jedi. Surely, they could take them. If only she had a weapon…

Leia’s eyes scanned slowly around the room. And then a glint from the table caught her eye.

The lightsaber. Of course.

Leia glanced up at the leader and found that his attention was still on Luke. Good. Now, to reach the lightsaber.

Slowly, so as to not catch the attention of the Imperials, Leia leaned her elbow on the table and began to slide her hand towards the silver and black hilt.

She paused as the leader’s attention shifted. He reached into one of his pockets and pulled out a set of binders, just like the ones that had been used on her not so long ago.

“Now, I know there’s no practical use putting these on you,” said the leader, eyeing the binders before slowly approaching Luke. “But for appearance’s sake - as a symbol of your surrender... Do you understand?”

“Of course,” Luke replied, his tone even and not giving away any hint of emotion.

Leia watched out of the corner of her eye as Luke extended his hands forward, pressed together at the wrists. The leader stepped closer carefully and Leia smirked. He was frightened of Luke, she could tell. He was doing a good job of not showing it, but it was there, hidden behind the confidence and the arrogance. She didn’t blame him; Jedi were extremely powerful and Luke was no exception. Even with his hands bound he could easily kill every single person in the room through the power of the Force. Not that Luke would do that, of course. Only the Sith used the Force for murder, for their own gain. She had heard the stories of Darth Vader’s powers, his mystical and frightening ways of killing - everyone had. And she could almost see the reflections of those stories in the leader’s eyes as he went to snap the binders around Luke’s wrists.

Now was her chance.

Leia reached forward quickly, making a grab for the lightsaber.

But it flew out of her grasp and came to a stop just out of her reach, dangling tantalisingly before her in the middle of the air.

“Leia,” Luke warned.

Suddenly all the blasters in the room were once again trained on her. But she didn’t care. Only now did she turn to face Luke, her anger simmering just below the surface, barely controlled.

“Why did you do that?” she asked incredulously, gesturing wildly at the hovering lightsaber as she rose to her feet. She shot a glare at the leader of the Imperials, who had just finished locking Luke’s hands in the metal cuffs. He stepped back out of her way, but his blaster was still trailing her movements. He wouldn’t dare shoot her. Not when it might risk angering Luke.

Leia snapped her attention back to her friend. “Why are you doing this, Luke?” she asked, her confusion being momentarily consumed by her anger and frustration. She couldn’t let him hand himself over to Vader. It would be his death sentence. She searched his eyes for a hint of emotion but found that he wasn’t returning her stare. Apparently he was playing that game now too.

“Luke, look at me,” she demanded, her voice rising. “Why aren’t you fighting?”

Luke turned to her and his blue eyes were calm as they met hers. “Because fighting isn’t always the answer, Leia. You know that,” he whispered softly so that only she could hear. “Yes, we could escape from here, but at what cost? If the Empire found out, they’d turn their full wrath on the Alliance up there in space. We need to give them a chance - I am that chance. I don’t believe for a second that the Empire would be able to defeat us entirely in one single battle; once they have me, the Imperials will leave and you will be able to return to the Alliance. They need you, Leia. And I can’t risk losing you.”

“But they’ll kill you,” she whispered back.

“Then that is how it is meant to be.” His gaze was strong but with a soft edge and a knowing glint that she didn’t understand. “But I don’t believe Vader will kill me.”

“Luke -”

“Trust me, Leia,” he whispered, stepping closer to her.

Leia wrapped her arms around him, pulling him tight and holding him close.

She could feel his warm breath on her neck as he murmured, “I’ll come back, Leia. I won’t leave you. I promise.”

His embrace felt like home and she closed her eyes, praying that this moment could last forever. She had lost her family, her planet, her lover. She couldn’t lose her best friend too.

But no one could stop time. Not even a Jedi.

Luke withdrew slowly and turned to face the leader. “I’m ready,” he said solemnly.

“Good,” snapped the leader, eyeing the two of them and then tucking his blaster back into its holster once he had decided that neither of his prisoners were about to cause a ruckus. The other men followed his lead. “We must make contact with the Executor. Lord Vader will want to know of your surrender.”

He stepped forward and shoved Luke in the direction of the door.

“Take her outside and let her go,” he ordered his men, nodding in Leia’s direction. “You know the conditions. Make sure they are fulfilled.”

Leia watched miserably as Luke was pushed out of the door. He shot her a small, reassuring smile and then he was gone. She couldn’t help but feel as if this was all going incredibly wrong. What if this was the last time she saw Luke? What if he never came back?

No. She couldn’t think that way. Luke had a knack for escaping the Empire and no doubt he’d be able to pull it off again. After all, he’d made a promise.

Now all he had to do was keep it.

 

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Leia grumbled and kicked the ground, coming to a halt in the middle of the forest. She stared at her boots, mud-stained and covered in red dirt, as she fought back the emotions that were once again threatening to overthrow her controlled exterior.

It had been a trap. Of course it had. Why hadn’t they seen this coming? Why hadn’t Luke, of all people, seen this coming? But maybe he had. Leia sat down on a log, burying her face in her hands as she thought back to that sad, knowing glint that she had spotted in Luke’s eye before they had left the shuttle. He had known something then. No. Maybe not known - but _felt_. He had felt that something was off about the entire situation and he had realised that he might be faced with a difficult decision - one with consequences either way. And then he had made her promise that she would do exactly as he said, almost as if he had known then and there that the day would end in his sacrifice to the Empire.

Sacrifice... No, she had to stop thinking like that. Maybe there was still a chance - a chance to save Luke.

She thought over the events of earlier, before she had been tossed back into the forest. The leader had said that they were going to contact the Executor. Perhaps a shuttle was going to be sent down to the surface to collect Luke, or at least to confirm that it was Luke that they had captured. Maybe Vader would be on board.

It was unlikely, but worth a shot. Leia bounded to her feet and started heading back the way she had come, passing a surprised looking Threepio on the way.

“Mistress Leia! Where are you going?” the protocol droid called, waving his golden arms frantically. “The ship’s in the other direction!”

She ignored him and continued walking. There was most likely no use in turning back, but she couldn’t leave knowing that she had abandoned Luke without trying her best to save him.

“Hurry up, Goldenrod!” she called as she bounded over a thick patch of prickles, quickly disappearing from Threepio’s line of sight in the dense forest.

Threepio stood for a moment, watching her go. Then he shook his head and started trotting off after her, muttering to Artoo as he went.

“Sometimes I just really don’t understand human behaviour.”

 

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Luke leaned against the white-washed wall of the shuttle’s corridor as he waited for the leader of the Imperial company to return from making coded contact with the Executor. He had been surprised when he had been told that he would not be required for visual confirmation; however, perhaps it made sense. It was most likely too risky to send such important information at a time like this when both the Alliance and the Empire were engaged in battle above them. If the Rebels intercepted the signal, they would no doubt send a full squadron after him, making the Imperial’s plans of taking him to Vader all the more harder.

Or perhaps they already had confirmation, although not of the visual kind. The Executor was Vader’s command ship, so there was no doubt that the Sith Lord - his father - was up there patrolling the dark corridors of the Empire’s most impressive flagship. Vader had made contact with him through the Force not long after his escape from Bespin, although that had been at a much smaller distance. Even still, Vader’s powers were exceptionally greater than Luke’s, so even if Luke couldn’t sense his father from this distance, who’s to say that his father couldn’t sense him?

Luke shook his head and moved his thoughts to Leia instead - he would deal with his father later. Luke reached out with the Force, moving past the Imperial spies and their ever present ill intent, out towards the forest where Leia and the droids would be. After a few moments of searching, he found her. Although she was not where he had imagined - or hoped - her to be.

He frowned, wondering what could have possibly gone wrong. But then he sensed her caution, her determination, the whispers of her thoughts and he sighed softly with a smile. He had never known Leia to give up or to go down without a fight and he figured that would never change, especially not now. The princess had doubled back and was now hiding on the edges of the clearing’s perimeter, watching and waiting for a chance to rescue him. But that chance would never come and he knew it. Not today, at least. And Leia knew that too. So, why was she still lingering when she should be on her way back to the Alliance and to safety? Perhaps she was hoping to snap a shot off at Vader’s head, if he even dared to show it on this planet. Luke smirked. He knew she’d love to do it, although she never would, especially not if it put him in danger.

Luke sighed again as the door at the end of the corridor opened and the leader stepped out. Whatever Leia was doing there, he hoped she would give it up quickly and return to the Alliance. That would mean one less worry for him.

“The shuttle will be here in a number of minutes,” said the leader gruffly as he walked past Luke, a victorious smile on his face. “We’ll wait outside for their arrival.”

Luke watched the man as he passed, eyes narrowed. From the leader’s belt hung his lightsaber, its silver and black hilt glinting softly in the lights of the corridor as it swung to and fro. Luke couldn’t help the glare that he shot at the leader’s back. He hated seeing his weapon in the hands of a traitor. It was such a personal item and it meant so much to him; it was his confidence, his power and his memory. It meant that he had successfully completed his training in the Jedi arts and it meant that he was now a worthy opponent for his father. But beyond the physicalities, it also held fond memories of his mentors, past and present. It was a constant reminder of what he had lost as well as what he had gained. And now it looked like he was never going to get it back.

Luke sighed - he seemed to be doing that a lot today - and followed the Imperial out of the shuttle into the green clearing below which was now tinted with red from the approaching sunset. Leia’s presence was strong in his mind as he stepped out onto the grass but he ignored it. His decision was already hard enough to deal with without Leia’s muddled emotions mixed in as well.

He glanced around at his captors. One of the patrol guards, who must have recovered from Luke’s surprise attack earlier, was approaching the leader, ducking his head down to speak in hushed tones. Luke stretched out with the Force to listen in.

“What of the princess?” asked the leader.

“She headed into the forest with the droids,” replied the guard. “But she doubled back and is now hiding on the edges of the perimeter.”

The leader hissed and shot a glance at the forest, his hand going to his blaster.

“She won’t try anything,” called Luke, hoping that Leia would hear his words as well.

The leader shot a glare at him, but dropped his hand back to his side, grumbling something under his breath that Luke couldn’t catch. In any case, it seemed that Leia wouldn’t be in any danger from the Imperials; they were all too scared of him to act against his will.

Luke shook his head and looked up into the sky, waiting for the shuttle that would escort him to the Executor and to Vader, his father.

It was a fair few minutes before the shuttle appeared, but Luke’s eyesight was keen and he spotted it before his captors did. Its white, triple wing configuration shimmered in the dying light of Arka III’s sun, creating a spark in the ever deepening red backdrop. The ship swung low over the canopy before pulling back around and slowing to a halt above a clear patch of grass. The lower wings folded upwards as the shuttle descended, landing smoothly next to the Rebel scout ship. There was a soft hiss as the cabin depressurised and soon enough the ramp began to descend from the belly of the ship.

Luke watched as an Imperial Commander stepped from the shuttle, soon followed by a guard of six stormtroopers, their white armour tinted orange in the light of the setting sun. He felt his captors stiffen to attention as the Imperial Commander approached.

“Commander Reth, sir,” acknowledged the leader of the traitorous Rebels.

“At ease, Captain Skyro,” Reth replied, not even glancing at the man, but instead focusing his gaze on Luke. Luke returned the stare with contempt. “I see your words are true, Captain. Lord Vader will be pleased.”

“His lightsaber, Commander,” said Skyro, pulling the hilt off his belt and handing it to Reth. The Commander took it without thanks and turned it over in his hands, examining the weapon’s craftsmanship. He then pocketed it and turned to his stormtroopers.

“Secure the prisoner,” he commanded.

The stormtroopers nodded and headed over to Luke, two of them grabbing his arms roughly and holding him in place. Luke didn’t struggle, his gaze still fixed hard on Reth.

The Commander now turned to Skyro. “Your services are no longer required,” he said simply before turning and motioning to his guard to move Luke into the shuttle.

But Luke wouldn’t budge. His mouth hung open and his eyebrows were raised as he stared in concern at his captors, all of which were now lying on the floor unmoving. They had collapsed just after the Commanders words and had slipped from Luke’s senses.

“What did you do to them?” he asked, shocked. He couldn’t sense anything from them, except for the slightest indication that they were, in fact, still breathing.

“That is none of your concern, Skywalker,” replied Commander Reth, his tones final as he headed towards the Imperial shuttle.

Luke let himself be turned away from his sprawled out captors, but he kept his senses locked on them as he was steered towards the tri-winged ship by the stormtroopers. The spies were beginning to regain consciousness. It was happening very slowly, but it was there and Luke felt slightly relieved. He had initially thought that the Commander had killed them and if it wasn’t for his connection with the Force, he would still be thinking that as he made his way towards the shuttle ramp. No death was necessary to him; no death was justified. In his belief, everyone was equally entitled to the rights of life, even the Imperials, and if those spies had died today he would have felt guilty knowing that it was his presence that had gotten them killed. But luckily, they were not dead and as Luke stepped up the rampway, he felt something that he had not felt before from his captors - individuality.

He paused. All he had been able to sense from the Imperial spies up until now had been ill intent as well as a strong hatred for the Rebels, but now…. Now, he could sense each and every one of them, individual and no longer hidden behind the mask of enmity.

But before he could make sense of the change, he was shoved unceremoniously into the shuttle and the ramp was closed with a dull thud. He heard the ignition of the engines and soon enough, they were blasting away from Arka III’s gravity well and heading straight for Vader’s flagship.

Luke took a deep breath and tried to calm himself with the Force. A mix of overwhelming emotions - sadness, anxiety, dread - were fluttering around in his stomach and he was struggling to control them. He knew that if he was going to stand any chance against Vader, he needed to conquer his fear and let his mind be calm, at peace.

Luke took another deep breath and closed his eyes, sinking himself into the mystical folds of the Force.

He had only a number of minutes to get himself under control. Then he would have to face his father.

 

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.

 

Leia watched helplessly as the Imperial shuttle disappeared into the sky, taking her best friend with it. She sighed. She hadn’t had a chance to save Luke and now he was gone. It was finally beginning to sink in; Luke was lost and he would never return. Vader would kill him and that would be the end of it.

No matter how hard she tried, she could not cling on to hope. It was fading fast - like the sun beyond the tree tops, its burning visage slowly slipping below the horizon and leaving nothing but darkness in its absence. Shadows fell around her but she didn’t notice, too caught up in her misery. What hope was there for the Alliance now that Luke was gone? What hope was there for _her_?

Both of her friends had been snatched away from her by Vader. She was alone now and as much as she hated to admit it, she was afraid. Without the smiles and laughter of friendship in her life, she feared that she would struggle to maintain her position and control within the Alliance. Her friends had been the only thing that had kept her sane and had led her to believe that she was living a normal life.

But she wasn’t. And neither were the billions of other people across the galaxy who were forced into constant states of fear by the iron grip of the Empire. They had lost friends as well - suffered terrible tragedies. And they were still fighting; they still had hope - hope in the Alliance - hope in _her_.

Leia’s resolve tightened. She would not let anyone else suffer at the hand of Vader or the Empire. She had a job to do, a responsibility. And she was going to do it.

She would make the Empire pay.

But first…

She whipped her blaster from its holster and spun around, coming face to face with the person who had been trying to sneak up on her. She squinted into the darkness, trying to determine the person’s features and as such, their identity. Her eyes adjusted slowly as they roamed over the camouflage uniform, the blaster in hand… It was one of the Imperial spies!

Skyro.

Leia jabbed her weapon at her former captor and shot him a glare. “Stay away from me,” she hissed.

Skyro scrambled back and dropped his blaster hurriedly, raising his hands in surrender. Leia narrowed her eyes. That was not what she had been expecting, but it was good nonetheless.

“Please, Princess Leia -”

“Leave me alone,” she ordered. “You were given your orders, Skyro. Imagine what Commander Skywalker will do when he finds out you defied them.” She raised her eyebrows at him and he quivered slightly.

“Please, let me explain,” Skyro hurried, his arrogant demeanour now nowhere to be seen. His eyes were earnest and pleading and Leia felt considerably confused. Logic told her that it was an act; Skyro was just trying to earn her trust so that he could betray her again and hand her over to Vader. But her instincts told her it was all honest action. She frowned.

And then she remembered the events before Luke’s departure - the collapse of the Rebel spies. She had been horrified at the sight, thinking that they were dead, but her mind had been so focused on Luke that she hadn’t even noticed their recovery. She twisted her head around to look behind her but kept her blaster aimed at Skyro.

And there in the clearing were the rest of the spies. They were grouped around the entrance to the shuttle and were conversing amongst themselves. Every now and then, one of them would look up to the sky or scan the perimeter. Even from this distance, Leia could tell that they weren’t the same as before. Their body posture was softer now, no longer held in the military rigidness common to Imperial troops, and their blasters were lowered or holstered. Some wore expressions of considerable confusion, whilst others looked extremely nervous or fearful.

Leia turned back to Skyro. “What’s going on?” she demanded.

Skyro looked significantly relieved at her interest and proceeded to explain the situation at top speed. “Your Highness, you must believe me. We are not spies. We never were! We’re Alliance scouts returning from a mission to Tatooine. Most of us are tacticians and technicians, although a few are mercenaries brought along for protection. We were intercepted above Arka III by the Imperials. Our ship wasn’t damaged but we were brought on board the Executor. Then we ended up down here... And then you arrived and we didn’t have control - none of us did! It was like we were watching as someone else hacked into our bodies and took control of them, carrying out actions that we could not prevent. Please, Your Highness. Please, you must forgive us! Our actions were not our own!”

“Woah, hold on a second,” Leia cut in, trying to make sense of Skyro’s rambled explanation. Skyro paused, panting, and she studied him for a moment. Then she asked, “What happened aboard the Executor?”

Skyro hesitated, glancing down before looking back up to Leia. “We don’t know.”

“You don’t know?” Leia’s eyebrows were raised. She knew he was being honest... But how? She didn’t know. It was just a feeling in her gut, but it was there and it was strong. The man wasn’t lying, but he wasn’t making sense either.

Skyro nodded. “Our ship got caught in the Executor’s tractor beams and we were pulled aboard. And then we were here on Arka III. Everything in between is black. It was like it didn’t even happen.”

“Okay…” Leia murmured, her eyes wandering the forest as she thought. Something had happened aboard the Executor… but _what_ exactly? Had the scouts been drugged? Gassed? It was possible but didn’t seem likely. After all, you would most likely remember that happening. No, something was going on here… and whatever it was, it wasn’t looking good for the Alliance.

She looked back to Skyro. “You said you didn’t have control. What do you mean?”

“It was like we were robots,” Skyro began slowly, searching for the right words. “Our minds were filled with ideas that were not our own and we were given orders that we had to obey. We were to capture you and use you as bait for Commander Skywalker, but little did we know that he was already here.” Skyro looked her in the eye and through the darkness she could just see the hint of regret on the man’s face. “I am extremely sorry for the way I treated you, Princess, and for what has happened to Commander Skywalker. I must apologise for my actions and for the actions of my men. I understand if you wish us to be dismissed from the Alliance.” Skyro lowered his head, avoiding her gaze.

“Look at me, Captain,” Leia said quietly. “I do not wish for your dismissal. If what you say is true then you are not to blame for what has happened here today. This state you were in… do you think it could have been some sort of brainwashing or mind control? Hypnotism perhaps?”

Skyro looked thoughtful for a moment and then nodded. “Perhaps, Your Highness.”

Leia opened her mouth to reply but was cut short by a loud, wailing howl that echoed throughout the forest.

“What was that?” she whispered, eyes wide.

“I don’t know,” Skyro whispered back, glancing worriedly into the forest. “But it didn’t sound friendly. We should get back to the ship.”

He bent down to pick up his blaster, catching Leia’s eye first to make sure that it was okay for him to arm himself; then he started heading back in the direction of the scout ship. Leia stared into the forest for a few more moments. Everything had gone extremely silent and it was beginning to become unnerving. She felt frozen to the core. What if the creature that had made the howling noise was watching her?

She shook her head and quickly got up from her hiding place, bounding lightly over the leaf littered forest floor and beckoning to the droids to follow quietly. She received no argument from them; they obviously understood the potential danger they were in.

Once she was safely within the clearing, she felt considerably more relaxed - until she was bombarded with Rebel scouts offering their apologies and begging for forgiveness.

“Enough!” she commanded, holding up a hand. “I have spoken with your Captain and he has explained your situation. You will be allowed to return to the Alliance as long as you agree to full mental and physical evaluations. You must understand our caution; your situation is pretty much unheard of.” She looked around at the group of scouts who were watching her intently. They all looked dramatically relieved at the news that they would be allowed to continue to serve in the Alliance and they all nodded in response to her words.

“Good,” Leia continued. “I will be returning to the Alliance shortly. Was your ship damaged in the events of earlier?”

One of the scouts, a young man with blond hair and blue eyes, spoke up. “No, Your Highness, but some of the systems were disabled. It might take a couple of hours to reboot everything.”

Leia stared at him as he spoke and she couldn’t help but be reminded of Luke. It took all of her strength to pull her thoughts away from the sadness that was Luke’s loss and instead turn them to determination. There might still be a chance to save Luke, but only if they could return to the Alliance. And quickly.

“Then you’d better get to work,” she replied. The man nodded and hurried off to the ship with a few companions. “I will return to my ship and -”

“Princess,” Skyro intervened. “Sorry for my interruption, but I hardly think it would be a good idea for you to return to your ship now. It’s dark out and we don’t know what creatures might be lurking in that forest.”

“I understand your concern, Captain,” said Leia mildly. “But I am fully capable of taking care of myself.” She let her hand rest on the blaster holstered to her hip.

Skyro hesitated for a moment, evidently tossing up whether to comply or to continue with his argument. He then opened his mouth to speak. “I know you can, Your Highness, but I must stress the importance of the situation.”

Leia was about to interrupt but Skyro cut her off.

“I only mean to offer my assistance, Your Highness,” Skyro continued. “I cannot make up for my actions earlier, but I can at least give you all the respect and help you deserve. It is the least I can do in this situation. And after all, you’ll need a pilot.”

Leia sighed. She hadn’t thought of that. Luke and Han were always the pilots and she was always the passenger. But with both of them now gone, she was stranded and helpless. She made a mental note to take some flying lessons after she returned to the Alliance and rescued Luke. After all, who knew what situations she might get into in the future and knowing how to successfully pilot a shuttle might end up being very useful.

“I accept your assistance, Captain,” Leia acknowledged. “Will your crew be able to manage without you?”

“Of course,” replied Skyro with a smile on his face.

Leia nodded. “Then we leave in five minutes. Once I reach my ship I will send out the coordinates of the Alliance's rendezvous point. It is unlikely that the battle with the Empire is still in motion now that Commander Skywalker is gone, so we’ll meet them there.”

Skyro and the others nodded. Leia watched as the Captain turned around and delivered orders to his fellow teammates. There was a tap on her shoulder and she looked around to see Threepio looking at her questioningly.

“Uh, Mistress Leia,” the droid stammered. “Are you certain this is a good idea? I mean, there could be anything out in that forest. I think it is hardly the place for a princess to be heading in the middle of the night, let alone two droids.”

“You’re right, Threepio,” Leia replied, to which Threepio jerked away in surprise. “You and Artoo will slow us down. And as much as I hate to leave you, it is imperative that I return to the Alliance as soon as possible.”

Threepio’s arms shot up in protest and Artoo gave a short chirp. “Leave us? Mistress Leia, you cannot leave us here on this forsaken planet. It will be our end,” Threepio wailed.

Leia rolled her eyes and patted Threepio’s shoulder. “Relax, Threepio. I’m not leaving you behind; I’m leaving you with the scout group. They’ll bring you back to the Alliance, safe and sound. There’s no need to worry.”

She didn’t wait to see Threepio’s response. Captain Skyro was approaching her, supplies and weapons in hand.

“Fresh supplies,” he said, holding out a bag which she took with thanks and slipped into her backpack. “And extra weapons.”

Leia took the blaster rifle from him and slung it over her shoulder. She much prefered smaller weapons, but in this case perhaps it would be best to have something with a little more fire power. After all, who knew what they might face in the forest.

“All set, Captain?” she asked.

Skyro nodded. “Everything’s in order.”

“Then let’s go.”

 

.

.

.

 

Luke’s eyes opened as he heard the creak of the landing supports begin to extend from the ship. He felt the shuttle gradually slow down until it was hovering just above the ground and then felt it sink slowly onto its supports. The engines died and everything went still.

They were here.

Luke took a deep breath, relishing in the feel of the air in his lungs and the freedom with which he could control his body. It could very well be the last time, after all. If he wasn’t killed by Vader, then he would most likely be tortured. There would be no way for him to get out of either situation unless he agreed to join his father. And that was most definitely not an option.

His arms were grabbed roughly by the stormtrooper escorts and he was dragged to his feet. Luke would have willingly cooperated but they didn’t even give him the chance. The troopers then shoved him forcefully towards the exit ramp.

The cabin was depressurising and soon enough they would be exiting the shuttle. Luke stood still as he waited for the ramp to lower, watching as Commander Reth appeared to give orders to his guard. The stormtroopers nodded professionally and tightened their grip on Luke.

He had surrendered voluntarily but they would not make it appear that way. No one readily welcomed a trip aboard the Executor and especially not someone who was being hunted by Lord Vader. Making it look as if they had captured him and forced him into submission would no doubt work very well at making the Empire appear strong and the Rebel Alliance appear weak. As if the galaxy needed any more confirmation of the Empire’s iron grip, Luke thought with a grimace.

The rampway descended from the ship, coming into contact with the shiny, black flooring of the hangar bay with a dull thud. Reth snapped to attention, the military rigidness that never left his form becoming even more defined than Luke thought possible. The Commander then began making his way down the ramp and Luke was forced to follow. He tried his best to make it look as if he had at least some control over his situation; he raised his chin with dignity and kept his head forward and expression neutral, although the grips of the stormtroopers on his upper arms were beginning to become rather painful. He suppressed a grimace and continued on down the walkway.

Luke fought to remain in control of his face as he stepped out onto the Executor’s hangar bay floor. To say it was huge would be an understatement. Luke pressed his lips together tightly to prevent his jaw from dropping and his eyes quickly scanned the room. He had never seen a hangar bay so large - or so busy. There were pilots and technical staff rushing about everywhere, whilst mechanics and engineers worked on the various shuttles that were scattered about the bay. The black floors were so well polished that they reflected everything in the room almost perfectly. The Alliance’s hangar bays on Home One looked like a shabby mess in comparison. Not even the hangar bay of the Death Star was as magnificent as this one, although admittedly Luke had never had the chance to see any of the other hangar bays on the Empire’s prized weapon and perhaps that was a good thing.

Luke’s attention was snapped back to the present as he jolted to a stop. Ahead of him were three squadrons of stormtroopers lined up to perfection, their white armour glistening in the light and approaching them was a man in a sharp, pristine uniform. An air of importance surrounded the man and Luke noted it with respect; the man’s jacket bore the insignia of an Imperial Admiral, one of the top ranks in the Imperial fleet and a position that seemed to open up almost once a year according to the intel gathered by the Alliance; Admirals were highly skilled tacticians, but even they could make mistakes and Vader was not the forgiving type.

“Admiral Piett,” Reth acknowledged.

“At ease, Commander,” replied Piett, his voice authoritative and intimidating, yet Luke could sense a feeling of weariness behind his words. No doubt the constant stress of commanding the most feared flagship in the galaxy was beginning to wear the Admiral down. “I see you have successfully apprehended the Rebel. Lord Vader will be pleased.”

The Admiral’s attention briefly flickered to Luke, giving him a quick once over, before returning to Commander Reth and the lightsaber he was being handed. Luke narrowed his eyes in a glare as his weapon was once again passed on to a higher ranking Imperial. He felt uneasy as he realised that the next one would be Vader.

“I will take him from here, Commander,” Piett informed Reth before turning and heading in the direction of the hangar bay doors.

Luke was pushed in the same direction by his stormtrooper escorts and soon enough he found himself walking through the dark walled corridors of the Executor. The ship was as intimidating as the stories he had heard about it from his fellow pilots back at the Alliance. Granted, those stories were most likely works of fiction as, after all, no prisoners ever escaped from the Executor and lived to tell the tale. Luke’s nerves returned at the thought and he wondered what that might mean for him.

After many sharp turns and long passages, they finally arrived at a simple set of grey sliding doors. Luke had expected something more grand, but then again, Vader didn’t seem like a person who took much interest in aesthetics. He was a military commander and had a job to do; there was no need for intimidating decor - his title was fearsome enough on its own.

The doors slid open and the Admiral stepped in smoothly. Luke followed with his escort.

Just like the rest of the ship, Vader’s private suite was simple and grey walled, filled only with the most necessary pieces of furniture and technical equipment. The one object that stood out though, was a large, black, multi-sided box in the centre of the room. Luke frowned as he failed to figure out what exactly the thing was and what is was used for.

Then a soft hissing sound filled the room and the box began to part in the middle, opening up to reveal a white walled chamber and there, seated in the middle of it was…

Darth Vader.

Luke tensed, but was careful not to let his fear get the better of him. He was doing well at the moment to keep his emotions controlled, but it was taking most of his concentration to bury them deep. And the fear emanating from the Admiral and the stormtroopers was not helping at all.

“Yes, Admiral?” Vader acknowledged as he turned to face them.

“The rebel Skywalker, My Lord. As you requested,” Piett informed his superior officer. “And his weapon.” The Admiral stepped forward to hand the lightsaber to Vader.

“Good work, Admiral.” Vader’s mechanical voice showed no hint of emotion, yet Luke could tell that he was pleased. “Leave him with me.”

“Yes, My Lord,” Piett responded, nodding and turning to the stormtroopers.

The grips on Luke’s upper arms slackened and then disappeared entirely, leaving him feeling strangely alone. The troopers and the Admiral retreated and the doors swished closed. Luke stared at his father. This was it, then.

Now, his fate would be decided.


	3. Chapter 3

Leia bolted into the shuttle and slammed the door controls just in time. The doors slid shut just as something large and heavy collided with the outside of the ship, shaking the vessel and throwing Leia off balance.

She scrambled to her feet and bolted towards the cockpit, screaming as she went. “Get us up! Get us up!”

“Just a minute!” Skyro yelled back, his voice echoing through the metallic insides of the shuttle.

Leia careened into the cockpit, sliding quickly into the copilot’s seat next to Skyro and started flicking buttons. The sooner they were up in the air, the sooner they would be away from the danger now threatening to tear the ship apart.

“What _is_ that thing?” Skyro hissed as he pulled a lever and the engines ignited.

“I don’t know,” Leia replied, quickly checking the dials on the display. “But it wasn’t friendly, that’s for sure.”

“Yeah, no kidding,” Skyro replied sardonically as the ship rocked again on its supports. “Are we ready to fly?”

“Just one second… Yes! Get us out of here, Captain!”

Skyro jerked the controls and they lifted off the ground.

The creature slammed into the ship again and Leia gasped as they were knocked off course - straight towards the forest! Leia tensed automatically as the thick tree trunks rapidly approached the shuttle.

But then the ship lurched again! Although this time it was not of the creature’s doing, but Skyro’s. He had pulled hard on the controls and now they were spinning back in the other direction, away from the trees and climbing high into the sky.

But the ship was moving out of control.

Skyro grunted as he struggled to pull the ship out of its dizzying spin. The glittering lights of the stars in the night sky were flashing rapidly across the viewport and it was all Leia could do to not be sick. But soon enough the starlines slowed into dots and the shuttle came to a slow halt above the tree tops.

Leia and Skyro stared out into the open sky, the silence only broken by their rapid and heavy breathing. Leia closed her eyes and then opened them wide, trying to stop her head from spinning. Then she looked to Skyro and was met with a very bewildered look. Skyro’s green eyes were glittering in disbelief as he looked between her and the viewport. Then his face lit up with a grin and she couldn’t help but do the same.

“We did it!” she cried as she pulled him into a quick hug. Then she sunk back into her seat, still panting heavily.

Skyro grinned and returned to the controls, steering the ship up into the atmosphere.

“I told you you’d need me,” he said with a smirk and a quick glance her way.

Leia stared at him for a few moments, pondering the change he had gone through - from wicked, merciless captor to cheeky, brave Rebel Captain. She most certainly liked the man he was now. She just hoped his mental evaluation would check out and confirm that he was indeed loyal to their cause. The feeling in her gut told her it would all go well, but she much prefered to rely on logic over mystical feelings. However, stressful situations often revealed people’s true nature and Skyro’s persona during their hurried escape from Arka III had been nothing like what she had seen from him before. The harsh glare from his Imperial title had been replaced with a thrilled glint brought on from their daring escape and the scared, confused body posture from after his collapse had been replaced by one of ease and enjoyment. He was a rebel at heart and Leia could tell that he enjoyed facing danger. He was brave and courageous and she was very glad for his presence. She could tell though that he was still deeply regretful of his earlier actions and was desperate to make up for them, even though the situation had been entirely out of his control. But right now he was focused on the task at hand and Leia admired his dedication.

“Thank you, Captain,” she said quietly, earnestly. “Truly. I owe you my life.”

“Hardly,” Skyro replied, shaking his head. “You got me out of that mess as much as I did you. Therefore, the debt cancels out.”

Leia smiled and shook her head. “Nevertheless, I am truly grateful, Captain. I hope you know that.”

“I do, Your Highness,” said Skyro as he removed his camouflage hat, revealing a mop of dark, messy hair that fell into his face. He brushed it away as he flicked a couple of buttons.

“Leia,” she corrected. “You can call me Leia.”

He looked at her. “I wouldn’t dream of it, Your Highness,” he said with a smile. “That would be impolite.”

“I insist,” Leia replied.

“Shouldn’t you be sending out the coordinates of the rendezvous point, Your Highness?” Skyro asked.  “My crew should have the ship up and running by now.”

She shot him a mock glare for changing the subject, but turned to the control panel and started encrypting the coordinates.

“There,” Leia said as she finished up the coding and transmitted the message, sending it on the same frequency that the scouts had used for their distress signal. “All done.”

“Why Hoth?” Skyro asked as he noted the coordinates and transferred them to the navicomputer. “The Empire’s already driven us out of that system once already. Who’s to say they won’t do it again?”

“Yes, but it wasn’t that long ago. The Empire wouldn’t expect us to return so soon,” she explained. “And in any case, it’s only a rendezvous point. We’re not setting up a permanent base there this time.”

She sighed. Their logic was nowhere near flawless, but they currently had no better options. And anyway, they had bigger issues to deal with at the moment, like the security leak that had led to the scout group being intercepted, the scout group themselves and their most peculiar mind control situation, and not to mention the loss of Luke Skywalker, the Alliance's shining hope.

Luke...

Leia's elation at having successfully escaped from Arka III disappeared immediately as she thought of Luke. She didn't even notice Skyro respond to the transmission from the scout group saying that they were entering Arka III's orbit and about to make the jump to lightspeed. She barely acknowledged Skyro's request to enter hyperspace. She felt numb and hollow to the core.

Her eyes glazed over as she stared at the mottled blue swirls of hyperspace. Amongst their billowing folds she felt tiny and useless. And she began to question whether it was worth it or not... The amount of sacrifices that she had had to make for the Alliance had been phenomenal and now with the loss of her two best friends, it had reached levels that she had not thought possible. She hadn't seen this coming. Not at all. She had known when she had signed up for the Rebellion that there would be losses, but she had never imagined that they would affect her personally. But their cause was right, and her companions were willing to make the sacrifices - sometimes a little too willing - and she had to honour that. Her duty came first, her life second.

"Your highness?" came a voice from the void of hopelessness.

Leia ignored it.

But the voice was persistent and it was beginning to sound concerned.

"Princess Leia? Are you okay?"

Leia gave herself a mental shake as she realised that the voice belonged to Skyro, not some mystical being trying to drown her in sorrow.

She turned to him and murmured, "I'm fine."

"I think you should get some rest, Your Highness," Skyro advised earnestly as he looked at her with concern. "It's a long flight and I'm sure that once we reach the rendezvous point you'll be straight back into important meetings and what not. You could do with a few hours sleep."

"You'll be fine without me?" Leia asked quietly, already feeling groggy at the mention of sleep. And now that she was thinking about it, she couldn't exactly remember the last time she had slept. Maybe a few hours rest was a good idea.

"Of course. I'm fully capable of taking care of myself, after all," Skyro replied with a smirk, reusing Leia's words. "And it's not like there are any vicious creatures on this ship that are likely to be after my throat. So, yes, Your Highness. I think I can manage."

Leia shook her head with a smile. "If you keep calling me that, _I_ might just be after you throat," she teased as she stood and went to leave the cabin. She heard Skyro laugh as she stepped out into the passageway and made her way to her sleeping quarters.

Once there, she collapsed on her bed and closed her eyes, not even bothering to change her clothes. She was so exhausted and her bed was just so comfy.

Her last thoughts as she drifted off to sleep were of Luke and his brilliant blue eyes. Those eyes, so full of love and joy, that she might never see again.

 

.

.

.

 

“Father,” Luke acknowledged.

Vader surveyed him, his mechanical breath softly hissing in the silence. Then he stepped out from the chamber - Luke still hadn’t figured out exactly what it was - and strode slowly towards Luke, coming to a stop a mere metre away from him.

“So,” came Vader’s voice, deep and dark. “You have finally accepted the truth.”

Luke was still as he stared at his father fixedly. Now that the Admiral and the stormtroopers had left, he was no longer overwhelmed by their fear and so was now able to successfully bury his own. He had regained the control of his emotions and he would not let Vader break it.

“Yes,” Luke replied. “A certain portion of the truth.”

When Vader did not respond, Luke continued. “I have accepted the truth that you were once Anakin Skywalker, heroic Jedi Knight and my father.”

“You will never utter that name again, Skywalker,” hissed Vader. His tone was menacing but Luke was unperturbed. “I am no longer that man and I never will be again. Any hope that you might have of turning me back to the Light Side is useless.”

“But there is good in you, father,” Luke pressed earnestly. “I can feel it.”

And he could. It was tiny, but it was there; a small, bright flame flickering in a universe of darkness. If he could just feed the fire then he might be able to find a way out of this mess.

“Tell me about my mother,” Luke asked.

He could sense that Vader was momentarily taken aback by the question. But in seconds the Sith had regained his composure and had determined Luke’s motives.

“Do not try to distract me, Skywalker,” Vader growled, pointing Luke’s lightsaber at him. “You know why you are here.”

“And you know that I will not turn, father,” Luke responded coolly. “I am a Jedi. I will not be so easily corrupted by the Dark Side.”

“We shall see about that... my young apprentice.” Vader’s voice slowed at the title, speaking it with a hiss and a whisper of darkness.

Luke inhaled sharply at the sudden coldness that had filled the room, a coldness that had also penetrated his mind. He stumbled backwards as shadows flew at him, their black, misty tendrils reaching into the deepest parts of his mind, twisting their fingers into his brightest memories and tearing them to shreds. And then he felt it.

It was a weave of red against black, slithering like silk through the rough edges of the darkness. It was power… It was strength… And it was intoxicating. It felt... good. It felt... _right_.

“NO!” Luke screamed, forcing the darkness out of his mind and back at Vader with all his strength.

And suddenly his body was hot and shaking with exertion. He crumpled to the floor, heaving heavily. His mind was free again.

But not entirely.

The darkness had left just the slightest tinge, just the slightest stain. And with it just a hint of temptation. But Luke pushed it away, determined to bury it - bury it deep within his mind in an impenetrable cage, locking it and throwing away the key, never to be touched again. He enveloped himself in the Force, letting its light flow around him. It moved through him, softly brushing his mind, cleansing it of the darkness and restoring the brightness of his memories and emotions.

And then he was snapped back to the present by his father’s voice. “You are powerful, young Jedi. You will make a great Sith.”

Luke snapped his eyes open, his meditative trance slipping away just a little too early. He looked at his father, who was standing further back than he had remembered. Perhaps Vader had not been prepared for the sudden onslaught of dark energy rushing back at him and had been pushed backwards by the force of it.

“I will never join you,” Luke spat, his determination still ringing clear. “And I will never become your apprentice.”

If Vader’s face wasn’t covered in a mask, Luke was sure that he would be smirking right now. Vader had been impressed by his power, but he had also noticed that Luke had almost enjoyed the feel of the Dark Side. Almost, but not quite. Luke felt uneasy, but buried his concerns deep for now; he would deal with what had just happened later.

“Indeed,” rumbled Vader, stepping closer to Luke, who was now picking himself up off the floor. “Do not underestimate the power of the Dark Side, young one.”

“I won’t join you,” Luke repeated through gritted teeth. He needed to heal. There was a sharp pain in his mind and in his body and it was getting worse every minute. “You’ll have to kill me!”

“I don’t plan on killing you, Luke,” said Vader in a low voice. “But know that if you defy me, you will suffer a fate worse than death.”

Luke raised his eyebrows and gave a short, disbelieving laugh - although it wasn’t entirely disbelieving, just more of an act. He knew what Imperial torture involved and he knew he could withstand it for a long while. But what Vader had done before… when he had invaded Luke’s mind and body with the Dark Side… If that became a part of the torture then Luke feared he might not last very long. All that dark energy in his mind had blocked his connection with the Force and the only way he had been able to escape was by using nearly all of the energy he had left in him. And now he was drained and no doubt the Imperial torture would keep him that way, making it impossible for him to protect himself from Vader’s influence.

He needed to figure out a way to block the Dark Side. He needed some sort of mental shielding...

He tried to focus but it was all slipping just too fast. The pain was searing through his body now and he was fading into a misty blackness.

Vader’s voice came to him as if through a thick fog. “I will give you one last chance, Luke. Join me and together we can overthrow the Emperor and restore peace to the galaxy. We can rule together, Luke, as father and son. We will be unstoppable.”

Luke’s knees began to sway and he felt his muscles go limp. But before the darkness of unconsciousness took him he was able to mutter a single word.

“Never.”

 

.

.

.

 

He opened his eyes and was met with a sea of endless grey. Luke blinked and wondered where he was. From his position on the floor it looked like some sort of small room, painted entirely in grey and with no windows or furnishings besides the grey door in front of him. The door which did not have a handle or a release button. So, Luke noted, he was locked in.

He pulled himself up from the floor with a groan, feeling his muscles protest at the sudden movement. He rubbed his eyes. His head was spinning and his stomach felt queasy. There had to be a reason for this…

Oh, yes.

He was aboard the Executor, which meant… Luke glanced at the door again. Locked in...

He was in the cells.

Well, Luke thought drily, this could be worse. Much worse.

He clambered onto the grey, inbuilt bench at the end of the room and removed his camouflage poncho, folding the green material into a small bundle which he then placed at one end of the bench. He laid down slowly, resting his head on the makeshift pillow and closing his eyes once again.

He didn’t have much time. He had to restore his energy and his focus before Vader returned to torture him. It was likely that the prison guards had been monitoring him and had already called for Vader, alerting him of the prisoner’s awakening.

Focus.

Luke took a deep breath, running his mind through the healing techniques that Master Yoda had taught him almost a year ago back on Dagobah. He was now beginning to regret leaving his training so early. He had not been prepared for Vader’s onslaught of the Dark Side and he was certainly not prepared to face it again.

_Yoda_ , he called out through the Force, hoping his Master would hear him. But he was a long way from Dagobah and although Yoda was powerful, he was not _that_ powerful.

_Ben_ , Luke tried this time. _Ben, help me_.

But there was no response. He was alone.

He let the Force flow through him. But its soothing energy was not as strong as it normally was and Luke began to feel uneasy. The queasiness in his stomach that he had momentarily forgotten about had returned and he was beginning to lose his focus. His fear was beginning to take control and his body was starting to tremble.

No. Stop it.

Luke gritted his teeth. But no matter how hard he tried, Vader’s mental attack kept coming back to him.

The coldness... The darkness…

The shimmering red ribbon of power and victory.

Luke opened his eyes and sat up, abandoning his attempt to heal himself. He felt sick. Vader had given him a taste of the Dark Side and he had almost enjoyed it. All that power... It had whispered to him, tempting him with the power to stop the Emperor - to defeat the Empire once and for all. It had called him the only hope for the universe and had told him that he could restore peace and justice… make everything right.

_ “Once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny.” _

Luke buried his face in his hands, digging his palms into cheeks harshly as he recalled Master Yoda’s words.

“But it wasn’t my choice,” Luke whispered, caught somewhere between anger and distress. “It was forced upon me. It wasn’t my choice!”

_ “Consume you it will.” _

“No,” Luke whispered as he slipped his mind back into the Force. “No… I am a Jedi. I am not like my father. I will not turn to the Dark Side. I am a Jedi. I am not like my father. I will not turn…”

He didn’t know how long he sat there, chanting those three sentences, convincing himself of their certainty. All the while, the Force flowed around him, stronger now, encouraged by his hope and determination.

“I am a Jedi. I am not like my father. I will not turn to the Dark Side.”

“Don’t be so certain.”

Luke jerked out of his trance with a start. He hadn’t noticed anyone enter his cell; he had been too caught up in his meditation. And now, it seemed, he would be putting his preparation to the test.

“Father,” he acknowledged. His determination hardened and he gazed into Vader’s mask with a challenge.

“Son,” Vader rumbled back, his mechanical voice echoing slightly off the walls of the cell. “I trust you enjoyed your sleep.”

“I made the most of it,” Luke replied evenly.

“Good, because it was the last you’ll be getting for a long while,” said Vader as two stormtroopers appeared at his side.

Luke looked at them briefly and then turned his stare back on his father.

“You won’t succeed,” he said, the challenge from his gaze now ringing clear in his voice.

But Vader didn’t deign a response. Instead, he motioned to the stormtroopers, who stepped forward and grabbed Luke roughly by the arms, pulling him to his feet once again.

Luke shot an unconcerned look at his father as he was escorted out of the cell. If there was one thing he had learned from his time with the Alliance, it was never let the enemy know what you’re thinking - or feeling, in this case. The fear and anxiety that he had previously experienced in the face of Vader’s torture was now securely under lock and key, and hopefully safe from the prying eyes of his father. Luke settled on a cool and unfazed exterior as he was steered down the hallway in the hopes that he might just live up to it.

He rounded a corner and was forced into a side room, the stormtroopers never slackening their grip lest he get away. There were two more stormtroopers in the room and they stepped to the side as he was brought in. Luke glanced around the room, eyeing the various pieces of equipment that lined the walls and filled the tables. Most of the items he couldn’t recognise, and he hoped that he would not become acquainted with any of them any time soon.

His stormtrooper escorts pressed him towards a large contraption at the centre of the room. One half of it was covered in small, grisly utensils that glinted wickedly in the bright light whilst the other half held restraints and wires. Luke gritted his teeth, but did not struggle as he was strapped into the machine. Instead, he kept the Force within reach and his mind at peace. It was the only way he would survive this.

The doors slid open just as the final restraints were being put on him and Vader entered, his black cloak billowing behind him. He strode over to a machine by the wall and started pressing buttons.

A couple of lights on the other half of the contraption flickered on in front of Luke. He stared down at them, but his gaze was stolen by the sharp, pointed instruments that surrounded the lights, their piercing heads staring threateningly up at him. A couple of them were even starting to glow. Maybe going along with the whole torture thing wasn’t a good idea.

He fidgeted slightly, testing the limits of his restraints. He was strapped down tight, but that was no problem for a Jedi. Reaching out through the Force, Luke imagined sliding his hand across the restraints and pulling them loose. Gradually, he felt the pressure on his chest and shoulders slacken, soon followed by the pressure on his wrists and legs. Through the Force he moved up to his head and worked at the strapping that was holding it to the contraption. He slid his imaginary hand along it and began to loosen it.

And then he was screaming as a searing, white hot pain shot through his body, leaving his nerves stinging in the aftermath. His muscles were tensed out of his control as he waited for it to happen again. He tried to control his breathing, but his heart was beating wildly and his lungs were screaming for oxygen.

His body went rigid as another round of pain shot through him. It was a blinding, overwhelming pain and it painted his vision red. He was screaming for it to stop long after the initial shock passed through him. It was as if every fibre in his body was on fire, flaming and wailing in agony. His breaths were ragged now and his muscles were aching.

The wait between the second and third shock seemed longer, although Luke couldn’t actually tell if it was or wasn’t. He didn’t even try to calm himself this time. It wasn’t worth it. The pain was excruciating and like nothing he had ever imagined.

Once again, he had not been fully prepared for what Vader had thrown at him.

Luke screamed again as the third shock jolted him forward against his restraints, shaking his body viciously. Maybe it hadn’t been a good idea to loosen them…

Fourth shock. Fifth shock. Sixth shock.

All he could see now was red. A bright, glaring red that was quickly fading into white and threatening to push him into unconsciousness. He could feel every bone and every muscle in his body shaking with pain, but at the same time, he couldn’t. The room was echoing with his screams, but he couldn’t hear them. He felt lost and he wanted to die. Just anything to get rid of the pain.

He hung limp in his restraints now, shuddering uncontrollably as he waited for the seventh shock to light his body on fire yet again. Maybe this time he would finally fall unconscious from the pain. Oh, how he hoped.

But as the seconds slipped by, he began to think that maybe it wasn’t coming.

If he was going to have any chance at escaping torture, now would be the time. Gathering what little strength he had left and reaching a hand out to the Force, Luke tore out of his restraints and pushed the nearest stormtroopers into the walls. They collided with dull thuds and collapsed to the floor, but Luke didn’t even notice.

Because the coldness was back and it was chilling him to the core. He was shaking uncontrollably, teeth chattering and fingers curled. His body collided with the cold tile floor and it was like fire - a cold, bitter, burning fire that pierced through his skin and murdered his nerves in a way that the torture hadn’t even come close to.

He was screaming and he couldn’t stop.

The darkness was invading his mind, breaking easily through his mental preparation and shattering all connection he had with the light touch of the Force. It slid through his memories and his emotions, pushing them aside and making way for the glimmer of red, the glimmer of lust and temptation.

But then the onslaught was gone as soon as it had come and Luke gasped in the air that was suddenly hot and choking him. He tried to push himself up off the floor but he was too weak. His muscles were shattered and his limbs were shaking.

“Your resistance is futile, Skywalker, and it has now led to your destruction.”

Vader’s dark, mechanical tones vibrated through Luke’s skull, magnified tenfold by his condition. He let himself be picked up by the now recovered stormtroopers and didn’t even try to resist as he was dragged unceremoniously along the floor and hefted onto a cold, metal table. The tight pressures of various restraints returned, but Luke knew that they weren’t there to prevent him from escaping - they were there to hold him down so he didn’t wind up accidentally killing himself during whatever torture that was coming his way.

He gasped as something sharp pierced through the fabric of his fatigues and into his upper left arm. The feeling was uncomfortable and Luke’s vision began to swim as whatever drug they were injecting him with began to infiltrate his system. He tried to push it back, tried to dissolve it with the Force. But the Force wasn’t there. He was utterly disconnected and alone. Vader had obviously tortured Jedi before and clearly knew the best ways of damaging them to get what he wanted.

But, no matter how much damage Vader caused him, Luke swore that he would never give in.

His eyelids fluttered closed as he began to feel drowsy. But he wasn’t relaxed by the feeling, even though it was the most plausible reaction to approaching unconsciousness. No; he knew better than that. Vader had said that he would not be getting an ounce of sleep from now on, so whatever drug they were using clearly had a different purpose and the drowsiness was most likely just a side effect.

Yep. Definitely just a side effect.

Luke’s mind was suddenly sharp and his eyes burst wide open. But what he saw was not the ceiling above him.

It was space.

Billions of flickering white lights spattered across a black canvas and he was right in the middle of it, alone and unprotected. He was floating, choking, suffocating on the nothingness that was the space around him and he flailed about in the abyss, losing all sense of direction, time and feeling.

And then he heard screams. But they were not his for a change and they echoed around him, through him. It was all in his mind, he told himself; sound doesn’t travel in space. But the screams were pressing in on him, growing louder and more pained. Luke covered his ears in an attempt to drown out the voices. But they carried on in his mind.

And then there was silence. Complete and utter silence - and Luke knew better than to trust its welcoming emptiness. It was the calm before the storm, the intake of breath before the explosion. And oh, did it explode.

Luke’s body arched against its restraints as his mind expanded faster than the speed of light, breaking the edges of his consciousness and tearing at the very fabric of time and space. Visions came to him - brief glimpses of images and emotions.

A flash of brilliant torpedos disappearing impossibly into a small hole.

Breathed out relief and hurried retreat.

Then a million voices crying out in pain, only to be suddenly silenced.

Luke tried to push the memory away but it kept repeating over and over, each time more vivid than the last.

He was a murderer. He was a monster.

The screams of terror pierced into his very soul, threatening to tear him apart from his very core of existence. But then a soft, comforting wave of warmth rushed over him and he grabbed onto it for dear life. It danced around him, thick and dense, drowning out the screams and the visions. He let it envelop him. He let it fill his mind. It was comforting and it was reassuring. It whispered to him. It told him it was okay. He sunk into its depths and he felt at ease. There was no light now, no visions. Just expansive darkness as far as the eye could see. And Luke felt like he belonged there, wrapped in the blanket of darkness. He felt connected, like every strand of the black string that made up the fabric of space was attached to his fingers, ready to be moved at will like a puppet. And he felt content, watching the darkness change around him. It dispersed amongst itself, shifting into different shades of black that Luke hadn’t even realised were possible until now. The different blacks now mixed with dark greys and deep reds, swirling together to form…

Wait.

Luke shot out of the trance the instant he realised what it was. It had been more subtle this time, more patient and he had been fooled by its disguise. He had been told that the Dark Side was cunning but he had never properly understood that statement until now. It had lured him into a false sense of security and he had lowered his defences. He had accepted it with open arms, not realising its true nature until it was too late.

Luke stared up at the ceiling, his mind reeling and threatening to collapse in upon itself. He couldn’t make sense of anything right now other than the fact that he had just enjoyed the feel of the Dark Side. It had been unlike any of his previous chilling encounters and he should have been disgusted at the feel, but instead he had enjoyed it, revelled in it even. He had felt powerful, like the universe was his to control and he had felt at home.

He tasted bile at the back of his throat. What was he _thinking_?

But he didn’t have time to consider it any longer. The restraints were ripped off of him and he was dragged off the table. His feet collided roughly with the floor and he realised that he was still too weak from the torture to stand on his own. The stormtroopers draped his arms over their shoulders and he hung limp in their support as he was dragged out of the room and back to his cell.

Now that he was out of Vader’s presence and the influence of the Dark Side, he felt cold and alone. The comforting warmth that the Dark Side had provided him had now been replaced by an icy chill. Luke tried to reach out to the Force, but found that he couldn’t. His grasp on the mystical energy had been severed and it would take time to stitch itself back together.

A door slid open and he was tossed to the floor. Rough hands pinned him still as something sharp dug into his neck. The needle pierced into a vein and yet another drug was forced into his system. Gritting his teeth at the uncomfortable feeling, Luke tried to pull away, but failed. Then the grip on him disappeared and the door swished closed.

It was cold and he was shivering. Unconsciousness danced tauntingly at him from the edges of his mind but he couldn’t reach it. And the darkness, with its heart of blood, whispered at the corners of his vision.

But he would not give in.

He was a Jedi.

He was not like his father.

And he would not turn to the Dark Side.

 

.

.

.

 

The light of the twin moons gave the snowy landscape an eerie feel, casting long shadows across the bitter ground and throwing the bare trees into sharp relief. The white snow was shrouded in a blue mist and light icy flakes dusted the ground, softening the sharp feel of the harsh environment.

But that softness was only a disguise.

People were screaming in the distance, their voices ringing clear through the cold air but broken up by the sounds of blaster fire. Bright flashes of light lit up the surroundings as shots were fired and targets were hit or missed. Explosions rang out and the white snow soon became speckled with red.

Black footsteps moved across the landscape, creating impressions in the snow that were swept away only moments after they were made. And following those footsteps was a thick veil of darkness, its menacing cloud threatening to choke both the light of the moons and the lives of the people fighting.

But then a sharp _snap-hiss_ rang out and a green blade of light pierced through the veil. The darkness retaliated quickly, emitting a crimson blade of fire that swung for the neck, ready to decapitate and conquer.

Leia bolted awake, gasping for air and covered in cold sweat. Eyes closed, she clutched at the blankets around her with shaky palms, taking deep breaths to calm herself.

“Your Highness, are you alright?”

Leia opened her eyes and found the origin of the voice. Skyro was at her bedside and was looking at her with the utmost concern.

Taking another couple of breaths to steady herself, Leia nodded and murmured, “I’m fine.”

“You keep saying that, Your Highness, but I really don’t believe you.”

“ _Skyro_.”

“Yes, I know, Your Highness,” Skyro replied quickly with a roll of his eyes. “You can take care of yourself - and I trust you on that, but just remember that it’s okay to admit that you’re not fine and that it’s okay to admit that you need help. Shutting yourself off from everyone will not pay off in the long run.”

“Right…” Leia muttered, not exactly paying attention to Skyro’s words. She couldn’t shake the nightmare from her mind. It had been so vivid. Vivid and frightening, but only a dream.

“We’re approaching the Hoth system now, Your Highness. We’ll be dropping out of hyperspace soon.”

Skyro’s words struck a chord and Leia’s mind snapped to attention, the nightmare quickly forgotten.

“Right,” she said, sliding out of her bed and brushing the creases out of her clothes. “Then let’s go.”

Skyro hesitated at her abrupt movement, most likely wanting to prevent her from leaving the bed in the interest of her health, but he shook his head quickly and followed her out the door. Their time to relax was up and now they had to face the Alliance, both Leia and Skyro knew that.

Leia slid into the copilot’s seat once again as Skyro slid into the seat next to her. She flipped a couple of switches and checked the dials. All was well for their arrival. She looked to the countdown on the display, ticking down the seconds until it was time to drop out of hyperspace.

Skyro placed his hand on the lever and pulled as the clock reached zero. The mottled blue of hyperspace disappeared in an instant, transforming into brilliant white star lines and then coming to an abrupt halt. Ahead of them was the Rebel fleet, suspended silently in the black void of space with that very familiar white orb hovering just below. Leia diverted her gaze from the ice planet and the memories it brought up and instead turned her focus on the ship that they were approaching: Home One.

Skyro pulled the ship into the hangar bay with ease and they landed softly on the shiny floor. The cabin depressurised with a hiss as Leia and Skyro headed to the door. Leia paused with her hand on the release like she had done back on Arka III with Luke. Taking a deep breath, she steeled herself and pressed the button. The door slid open and she stepped out.

Mon Mothma and Admiral Ackbar were awaiting her at the entrance of the hangar bay, along with a handful of other important delegates. Leia squared her shoulders and stepped towards them.

She had a lot of explaining to do.

 

.

.

.

 

Leia sat at the table, shoulders slumped and head in her hands. It hadn’t taken as long as she had expected to explain the situation, but the discussion that had ensued… Well, it was an absolute nightmare, to be brutally honest. Leia looked at the datapad that lay in front of her, blinking out the glare from her tired eyes and she sighed quietly as she looked at the time. Three hours and counting since she had returned and she had been locked up in the command room the entire time. The various Commanders and other high profile personnel were still arguing heavily, but Leia was paying them no attention. Instead, she flicked through her datafeed and keyed for an update on the scout group.

Immediately after her explanation of their supposed mental manipulation, the scouts had been promptly moved to the medical ward and put into isolation. They were now undergoing the psychological evaluations that would ultimately decide their fate with the Rebel Alliance. Leia scanned the report and sighed. The testing would take another couple of hours at least before they could start forming conclusions.

Flicking the datapad off, Leia leaned back in her chair and tuned into the current conversation. And she immediately disliked what she was hearing.

The revelation of Luke’s surrender had shocked everyone in the command room into a stunned silence for at least a minute. Leia had watched as confusion had slowly spread across their faces and then a couple of them had realised. So, _that_ was why the Imperials had retreated so suddenly. _That_ was why they had come out of the attack in relatively one piece. As one of the Commanders commented on this, the others’ expressions soon turned from confusion to gratitude. And then someone had had the nerve to suggest that Luke’s surrender was a traitorous act. It had made no sense at all in Leia’s opinion and she had been outraged at the accusation.

And she still was. But she had lost the will to argue. No one was in their right mind at the moment, and Leia knew that if she pushed too hard, she might just end up causing more damage than good.

But she still didn’t understand why everyone had taken to the suggestion so hungrily. Well, almost everyone. Mon Mothma was seated across from Leia and she was one of the few who had not yet voiced their opinions on the matter. But Leia knew that she had the Rebel leader’s support; Luke had proved his loyalty to the Alliance countless times. There was no way that he was a traitor - and there was most definitely no way that he was an Imperial spy. Where that most recent accusation had come from, Leia didn’t even want to know, but it was giving her a headache and her anger was beginning to bubble out of control.

She needed to get out of here. Shooting Mon Mothma a look, she silently pleaded her request to leave. Mon Mothma gave a slight understanding nod and Leia felt significantly relieved. She slid from her chair and exited the room unnoticed, taking her datapad with her.

Winding quickly through the white corridors of Home One, Leia felt herself becoming increasingly lightheaded. First the loss of Luke and then the accusations… It was all too much to deal with in such a short time period.

Slamming her hand on the door release to her room, she stormed through the doors and collapsed on her bed, screaming into her pillow. But her screams of anger were soon turned into sobs as her emotions broke loose. And for once, she allowed them full reign. She was alone and no one was watching. No one at all. And that was the problem.

She closed her eyes and cried herself to sleep.

 

.

.

.

 

He could hear screaming in the distance. It echoed off the walls and reverberated through his mind, coming from every direction and yet none at all.

Luke stared up at the ceiling through watery eyes. The bright lighting of the torture chamber, as he had come to call it, was burning his retinas, leaving black, swirling marks across his vision. He tried to blink them away but they kept coming back, constantly provoked by the harsh ceiling lights.

He didn’t know how long he had been there, strapped to the table with various drugs pumping through his system, keeping him awake. Time had seemed to slow down. It felt like weeks, yet in reality it had probably been only a couple of hours - a day, at most. But he really couldn’t tell.

The coldness hadn’t left since his first round of torture and it had stayed with him throughout the rounds that had followed. He had been completely alone during those painful hours. The Force never came to him, not even the Dark Side. And now he was craving its mystical touch, the expansive feeling inside his mind and the insight that it brought him. And he didn’t care which side came to him first - the Light or the Dark. He would welcome either one. He knew he should care. But he didn’t.

Rolling his head to the side, Luke watched groggily as the doors slid open and Vader swept in. But for once he did not move to the control panel on the wall. Instead, Vader strode to Luke’s side and surveyed him.

“I won’t… join you,” Luke whispered hoarsely, his voice cracked and broken from the torture.

“I will not accept that response,” Vader rumbled.

“Too… bad,” Luke coughed, trying to bring his voice back to its full potential but failing miserably. “I’m a… Jedi.”

“A Jedi does not crave the Dark Side,” stated Vader. “Yet you do.”

Luke gritted his teeth and shifted against his restraints. “No, I don’t,” he spat, but he wasn’t quite sure how honest he was being - both with Vader and with himself.

What he needed right now was the Force. He needed the healing and the spiritual connection in order to cleanse his body and regain his strength. Yet it was not what he wanted.

What he wanted right now was the taste of power - the feeling of ultimate control that had welcomed him with open arms when the healing side of the Force had rejected him and left him to suffer. That feeling had enveloped him, protecting him from the coldness of reality and filling him with hot, burning strength.

But that feeling belonged to the Dark Side. And Luke knew he shouldn’t want it.

He pushed the desire away with all his strength, tensing his muscles as much as he could and imagining throwing every hint of darkness from his body.

“Search your feelings, Luke,” Vader said quietly, darkness once again simmering at the edges of his words. “Accept the truth. Only through the power of the Dark Side can you overthrow the Emperor and restore peace to the galaxy. It is your destiny.”

Destiny…

“No,” Luke breathed. It was not his destiny. He was the shining hope of the Alliance and that meant that his destiny was to save the people of the galaxy. And the only way to do that was by destroying the iron grip of the Empire... Luke’s brow creased. That sounded awfully like what Vader was saying…

“Trust your feelings, Luke. They will lead you to the path of victory.”

What if… No. Luke scrunched his eyes closed and shook his head. Ben and Yoda had faith in him - had faith in his fate. But what if they had been wrong? What if the only way he could accomplish his destiny was through the power of the Dark Side…

Luke felt a tingle in the back of his mind. Frowning, he probed the area.

And was delighted by what he found.

There, in the deep recesses of his mind was a slither of darkness, a whispering tendril of the Dark Side. He called to it, beckoning it closer. Oh, how he longed for the touch of the Force once again. But as the darkness began to sweep through his mind, he froze. And his delight turned instantly to horror. Because this darkness was different from the others. It still held the same burning lust for power, but it had not originated from Vader’s influence; it had not been placed there through mental manipulation.

It had been there all along.

That tendril of darkness belonged to him.

It was his.

There was darkness already within him. And there had been for a long time.

Luke recoiled with a shudder as he forced the darkness back where it had come from, feeling utterly disgusted with himself. Vader had awoken feelings in him that he never knew he had - desires he never thought possible. And he had welcomed them because that was his true nature. Only now could he see it.

But he refused to believe it.

“No,” Luke said roughly, forcing the syllable out in a loud, clear voice. “I will never join you!”

“Very well,” Vader replied coldly. And then he turned away from Luke, moving towards the control panel on the wall.

Luke braced himself for the pain to come; he locked the slither of darkness away in the depths of his mind where he couldn’t reach it and then put all his effort into focusing on the things that were good.

Leia… Han… The Alliance… Ben...

Luke gritted his teeth and let out a strangled scream as a jolt of white hot electricity sizzled through him. But it didn’t hurt as much as before.

He was determined now. He knew his weaknesses.

And he would not let them be taken advantage of.

He would win.

 

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.

.

 

Leia’s chin slipped from her hand and she jerked awake. Blinking the sleep out of her eyes, she mentally cursed herself for falling asleep whilst working.

She looked down at the datapad on the desk in front of her and instantly snapped out of her daze. She had two messages, one of which was marked important. Tapping the display to open the file, Leia quickly skimmed the report and felt relief wash over her.

The psychological evaluations had been completed and the scouts had been cleared. This was good news. Very good news, indeed. Earlier discussions had shown that many on the command council were opposed to the scouts returning to service. Leia had seen their point - the scouts’ situation was completely unheard of and they would make a very great threat to the Alliance if there was any chance that they might turn again. Whilst the issue of their allegiance had now been resolved, the issue of what had happened to them still remained a mystery. According to the report she had been sent, there was no evidence of mental tampering and no evidence of drugs in their systems, at least, as far as the medical examiners could tell.

But her puzzlement and concern over the situation was nothing in comparison to her joy. At least one good thing had come of this. Her belief in Skyro and his companions had been true and now they were free to return to their service.

She flicked the next message open and read it eagerly. It was from Skyro, explaining, with obvious delight, that he had been cleared and released, although he would continue to be monitored over the next couple of days just to make absolute certain. She smiled and was about to type a reply when suddenly there was a knock on her door.

Whoever it was didn’t even wait for a response. The doors slid open and Leia turned around with a glare, ready to snap at the person who had interrupted her time alone.

But she stopped instantly at the sight of the young man’s face. Visible concern was etched on his features and he was shifting from foot to foot with a sense of urgency.

“What is it?” Leia asked quickly.

“Sorry for the interruption, Your Highness,” the messenger apologised rapidly. “But we have intercepted a video transmission.”

“And?” Leia asked, not entirely sure why it concerned her. But from the look on the man’s face, she knew it was something important. Extremely important.

“It…” he faltered slightly and Leia felt her impatience rise. “It’s an Imperial transmission and…”

The man looked like he didn’t want to continue, but Leia raised her eyebrows at him and he took a deep breath.

“It concerns Commander Skywalker.”

 


	4. Chapter 4

Leia hurried through the corridors of Home One, moving as fast as she could to reach the command room. She slowed slightly as she entered a busy hallway, not wanting to spark concern in any of the patrons; there was already enough commotion on the Alliance’s command ship; she didn’t need to add to it.

The young messenger struggled to keep up with her long strides and was beginning to sound breathless as he explained the situation to her at her request.

“The transmission was intercepted just over an hour ago,” he panted as they rounded a corner. “Our tech teams worked as fast as they could to decrypt it. High Command has been informed and they are awaiting your presence.”

Just over an hour to decrypt, Leia mused. That was either exceptionally good work from the Rebel techs or just lazy encryption from the Imperials. And neither situation seemed likely. Not that the techs were bad at their jobs or anything - it just usually took a lot longer to decrypt an Imperial transmission, especially a video. But that would mean that the Imperials hadn’t been as careful with their encryption as they usually were. And that meant that there was most likely more to this situation than just what appeared on the surface. The Empire was never lazy and they changed their encryption codes on a regular basis. They would not slip up now - especially when the transmission concerned Luke Skywalker, one of the greatest threats to their tyrannical government. No, the interception of this transmission had not been pure chance; it had been meant for them.

Leia was just about to ask where in the galaxy the signal had come from, but she stopped short as she reached the command room. The doors slid open and she took a step in.

But that was as far as she went.

Because her attention had immediately been caught by the viewscreen and the footage that it was playing. And she was horrified. She didn’t even notice the command council turn around to face her and she especially didn’t notice the sympathetic expressions on their faces. She just stared at the viewscreen, her mouth hanging slightly open and her heart racing a thousand miles per second. She felt sick. Just everything about the footage made her feel sick.

And not only did it make her feel sick, but it also brought back memories of her own Imperial torture. But that seemed like nothing to what Luke was experiencing.

He was strapped to some twisted looking machine and every now and then a bolt of electricity would shoot through him, arching his back and straining his muscles, making him writhe in pain. And he was screaming. That was what struck Leia the worst - his agonising, painful, strangled screams that never ceased. Even when the electricity stopped, Luke kept on screaming, pleading it for it to end.

Leia slowly made her way over to the command council who were gathered around the viewscreen, her gaze never leaving Luke as the footage looped over and over. This was all her fault. She should have done something! She could have stopped this!

Then the viewscreen went blank and Luke disappeared. But the image of him straining against his restraints and the sound of his screams never left Leia’s mind. She blinked and swallowed back the emotions that were once again threatening to break loose. It amazed her how quickly she had lost her self control over the past day. Years of diplomatic training and interaction had taught her how to control her emotions and not let them show. But the events of one day had blown her training to pieces and she was right back to where she had started: an over-emotional youth whose lack of self restraint might just end up being her doom.

“Princess Leia,” a quiet voice addressed her, snapping her out of her daze. “This is distressing footage of Commander Skywalker - ”

Leia looked to the person who was speaking and instantly felt her insides churn with anger as she recognised him and remembered the last time she had seen him.

“And you had the nerve to call him a traitor,” she snapped angrily, cutting the man off. The man stuttered and looked significantly taken aback by her outburst. “You -”

“Leia.”

Leia bit off the insult that she had been about to throw at the man and turned to face Mon Mothma, who was giving her a disapproving yet weary look.

“Those accusations have been recalled and apologised for,” Mon Mothma continued calmly.

“Good,” was all Leia could respond to that statement. She was still fuming inside at the man standing opposite her - the one who had first made the accusation. Her outburst had stunned him into silence and now he was standing quietly to the side, lips locked lest he attract her wrath again. It was all very well and good that he had apologised for his actions, but Leia was not in the mood to forgive him. The accusation that Luke was a traitor had hurt her deeply and shaken her confidence in the command council. A lot of them had so readily turned on Luke that Leia feared for the stability of the Alliance. They were already fighting one war; they didn’t need another.

But at the moment it seemed that the interception of the horrifying footage had brought everyone back into their right minds. If she was going to press them for anything, now would be the time.

“Were we able to locate the origin of the transmission?” Leia asked, pulling herself back together.

Mon Mothma gave her an approving look at her change, but shook her head.

“The signal was bounced around too much before it reached us,” she explained. “We were able to narrow it down to a number of sectors, but no more than that.”

Leia nodded. That would make it hard to plan a rescue.

Taking a deep breath, Leia mentally prepared herself for what she was about to say next. No doubt everyone was thinking it but no one had as of yet had the guts to voice it.

“So, the Imperials know we’re here,” she said. A couple of people shifted uncomfortably and a grim mood fell over the council. “That transmission was intended for us. They made sure that we would intercept it and decrypt it with relative ease, but were careful enough to not give away their location. We don’t know where they are, but they know where we are. You all know what that means.”

She looked around at the council and she could tell from their faces that they did indeed know what it meant.

“We have a security leak,” Admiral Ackbar acknowledged grimly.

Leia nodded.

“But we knew that right from the start,” said the man who had called Luke a traitor. Leia shot him a glare, but he wasn’t meeting her gaze. “Right from the beginning of this mess, we knew we had a security leak,” he continued. “How else would the Empire have known the route of the scout ship? Whoever is leaking information knew about the scout groups and they knew the location of the rendezvous point.”

“That is correct, Commander Lears,” said Ackbar, nodding in the man’s direction. “And it makes for a lot of potential suspects. But that is not our major concern at the moment; Commander Skywalker is.”

Lears gave a short, humourless laugh. “Oh, and he should be,” he muttered.

Leia shot him another glare. “What are you implying?” she growled at him through gritted teeth, her patience wearing thin with the man.

Lears’ eyes flickered around the council, then focused on Leia. He had everyone’s attention and he was planning on making the most of it.

“Isn’t it obvious?” he asked, raising his neatly trimmed eyebrows in a question. When he didn’t get a response other than Leia’s fiery glare, he continued, “Commander Skywalker is the security leak.”

Leia barely resisted the urge to slap him. “And, so, what you’re saying is that Commander Skywalker, the hero of the Rebellion and probably the most loyal person on this ship, gave the Imperials information and then handed himself over to be brutally tortured?” she snapped back at him, waving her hand at the viewscreen. “I fail to see your logic, Commander.”

“No, you’re too blinded by your love for him to see the truth,” Lears retorted. “Can’t you see? It’s all just an act! Skywalker knew the routes of our scouts ships and he was one of the few to know the location of the rendezvous point before it was issued to the rest of the fleet with the retreat order. And if you think about it, Your Highness, how else would the Imperials know of our location considering that they left _before_ our retreat order was given and the coordinates for the rendezvous were sent out?”

“Anyone could have sent out the coordinates after we arrived,” Leia growled back.

“But we would have known,” countered Lears. “All transmissions from the fleet are monitored. Anyone trying to leak information would be caught.”

“Then why wasn’t Commander Skywalker caught when he was supposedly leaking the routes of the scout ships?” Leia bit back with venom. She would not let Lears win this.

“Well, I wouldn’t underestimate him, Princess,” Lears responded darkly. “He is a Jedi and they cannot be trusted. The only other known Force user is Darth Vader, and if you were Skywalker wouldn’t you do anything to be reunited with one of your kind?”

Leia laughed. Well, that was enlightening. “So, that’s your reasoning behind all this?” she asked, eyebrows raised in dark amusement. “Commander Skywalker being a Jedi is what makes him guilty? If that is your stance, Commander, then your knowledge on the topic is clearly limited. The fact that Luke is a Jedi is what should immediately clear him of such insulting accusations. The Jedi are protectors of the peace not its enemies and they should be the least of your concerns next to the threat of the Empire. Luke would never align himself with Vader. The two are as different as night and day, Commander, so don’t you dare accuse Commander Skywalker of being a traitor. His surrender was a brave act and is what secured my safety as well as yours. So, if you don’t have anything useful to say on the matter of his rescue, then I suggest you leave.”

There was silence as Leia glared at Lears and he back at her. Everyone else in the room was tensed, not game enough to make a move against either of the two warring council members. Leia was visibly fuming, fists clenched and jaw tight - a very intimidating figure.

Lears narrowed his eyes but drew back.

“You have too much faith in your friend,” he hissed as he collected his datapad from the table in front of him. “One day you’ll see the truth.”

And with that, Lears stormed from the room.

The rest of the command council watched silently as the doors swished closed and then they turned their attention to Leia. She tensed, expecting to be dismissed from the meeting due to her explosive behaviour.

But Admiral Ackbar simply turned to the council and said, “Now, to the matter of Commander Skywalker’s rescue.”

Leia let out the breath that she hadn’t realised she had been holding and turned her mind to the meeting, momentarily letting go of her anger towards Lears and her fear and concern for Luke. Her friend was running out of time and they needed a plan of attack. Mind you, they also needed a location, but for now, the best they could do was come up with a few good rescue strategies. The rest they would work out later.

If they ever figured out where the Imperials were, that is.

.

.

.

Luke stared blankly up at the grey ceiling as he laid flat on his back on the floor of his cell. He didn’t have enough energy or enough strength to pull himself up onto the bench. It had taken all of his willpower just to reach up and pull his poncho from the cold, grey slab, draping it haphazardly over his shivering body in a hopeless attempt to keep his body temperature normal.

Every now and then he would shudder as screams pierced his mind and the memory of the bright, blazing electricity returned to him, making his body tense in anticipation of the white hot pain. But it never came.

Vader, it seemed, had given up on torturing him. After his outright and final refusal to join the Dark Side, Vader had almost killed him, sending shocks of electricity through him at a murderous pace. Luke was still shaking now from the intensity of the pain and it had been hours since that final round of torture. But he had never given in, even as he had felt death making its approach. He would rather die than join the Empire and it seemed that Vader had finally realised that. The torture had stopped abruptly and Luke had then been pumped full of drugs once again. He had then been tossed back into his cell and he hadn’t had contact with anyone since.

Or at least he thought he hadn’t. Luke frowned. Now that he thought about it, he couldn’t remember what exactly had happened after he had been locked up again. He supposed there wasn’t much to remember, but something seemed off. It was like parts of his memory were missing. There were black spaces where there should be colour. He had been awake the entire time - the drugs had made sure of that - but it was as if he had been sleeping. And now that he was awake, his dreams were fading fast from his grip. _What had happened?_

His instincts told him that it was all in his mind and that he was just overthinking it. But he couldn’t shake the feeling that something might have happened between then and now. What if he had told them something…

No. He would never let anything slip about the Alliance. And, after all, that was not what Vader was after. He was after Luke and nothing more. Vader’s path to victory was not through petty secrets and trivial pieces of information - it was through Luke, his son, who had the potential to become the most powerful Sith ever, if he could be turned.

Luke sighed and moved the troubling thoughts to the back of his mind where they wouldn’t bother him. There was nothing he could do about it now anyway. He would just have to remain confident in himself and in the fact that he would never willingly betray the Alliance.

.

.

.

Leia stepped into the lift and keyed for one of the lower levels. The meeting had gone surprisingly well. They had come up with a number of decent rescue strategies that would work in a number of situations, giving the leeway they required for their current lack of knowledge about the Imperial fleet’s position. Once she had been satisfied with their progress and the detail of their plans, she had called the meeting off and made her way to the turbolifts. Because something else had come up in the meeting that she had been too distracted to see before.

The lift came to a stop and Leia exited into yet another white-walled corridor.

The imperials knew their location, yet they had not made any move to attack. All they were doing was taunting them, using the torture footage to make them scared. But why hold off? A surprise attack immediately after another surprise attack would have been a crushing move had the Empire chosen to make it. But they hadn’t. And that meant that they had something else planned.

Leia stepped into a small room filled with technical equipment and people sitting at desks tapping on datapads. She made her way through the rows of tables to the door at the end of the room and knocked twice on its shiny, white surface.

They had been unable to determine the origin of the transmission due to the bouncing technique that the Imperials had used. However, if they were to receive another one, they would be able to narrow the location down significantly, even perhaps to the point of knowing the exact system. And Leia had a feeling that another transmission was coming their way. It was a good tactic - taunting the enemy on purpose but making it look like an accident. The Imperials obviously knew that they would ultimately reveal their location and that the Rebels would then come screaming in, weapons drawn to save their Commander. And that clearly meant it was a trap.

The door slid open and Leia was surprised to see the face that was welcoming her in.

“Skyro!” she exclaimed at the sight of the young captain. “I wasn’t expecting to find you down here. What are you up to?”

“Oh, not much, Your Highness,” commented Skyro casually as he ushered her into the small, white room. “Just popped in to see if I could give my buddy, Enzo, here a hand,” he said, gesturing to the young man seated in front of a computer display.

“Just a hand?” Enzo repeated incredulously as he spun around on his chair to face Skyro and Leia. “Don’t let him fool you with his modesty, Your Highness. Skyro’s the reason we were able to narrow the trace on the Imperial transmission down as far as we could.”

“Oh?” Leia asked, looking to Skyro with raised eyebrows.

He shrugged, mumbling, “It was nothing.”

“Nothing?” Leia repeated. “Pilot, soldier, skilled technician… Is there anything you can’t do, Captain?” she asked with a smile.

“Well…” replied Skyro, scratching his head and looking playfully thoughtful. “Not that I can think of,” he replied with a smirk.

Enzo rolled his eyes. “The way he goes from modesty to arrogance in a millisecond never fails to amaze me,” he murmured. Then he turned to Leia and stood up, offering her his hand. “I’m Enzo, by the way. Enzo Rendar.”

Leia took his hand and shook it with a smile. “Nice to meet you, Enzo,” she replied. “I’m Leia.”

Enzo nodded in acknowledgement and then sat back down, swivelling to face the data display once again. “I’m assuming you’re here to see the data we obtained from the transmission, Your Highness?”

“You are correct,” she replied, leaning down to look at the display as Enzo brought up a map of the galaxy.

“So, these are the sectors that the Empire could potentially have been in when making the transmission,” Enzo informed, pointing to the various star systems encased in a large yellow circle on the map. “Due to the bouncing, there are also a couple of possible candidates outside of this main region.” He tapped on the screen and two green circles appeared a fair distance away from main yellow one. “Although it’s unlikely.”

“I see,” Leia murmured, scanning the map. “And if we receive another transmission, how much further will you be able to narrow it down?”

“We’d pretty much have them,” chimed in Skyro. Leia turned to look at him. “Assuming, of course, that they made both of the transmissions from the same place.”

“So, we would have the system?”

“Yes,” Skyro replied. “We’d have the system, the Imperials and Commander Skywalker.”

Skyro’s grin slipped as he said Luke’s name.

“Speaking of Commander Skywalker,” he said quietly. “I’m very sorry for what has happened. I know I’m not supposed to know about what the transmission contained, but I had to have it open when I was working on tracing the signal. I won’t speak a word of it to anyone, Your Highness, I promise. I wouldn’t dare to, anyway. It’s my fault, after all. All of this is my fault…”

“It’s okay, Skyro,” Leia whispered as she put a comforting hand on his arm. “It’s not your fault.”

“No, but what if he dies?” Skyro looked panic stricken. “If he dies, then it’s my fault! I don’t think I could live with myself if that happened!”

“Skyro,” Leia murmured, holding him still and looking him in the eyes. “Listen to me. It’s not your fault. You didn’t have control over your actions and there was nothing you could do. I don’t blame you for this, Skyro, and neither does anyone else. It’s not your fault, okay? It’s mine.”

Skyro looked at her questioningly and was about to argue her last statement when she cut him off.

“But that doesn’t matter right now. Luke’s strong. He’ll hold out,” she whispered, more to herself than to Skyro. “We’ll get him back.”

“I hope so, Your Highness,” Skyro murmured back. “I really do.”

“So do I. And would you quit calling me that?” she added playfully with a smirk.

“No chance, Your Highness,” Skyro replied, his melancholy expression replaced instantly with a grin.

Leia sighed. “Well, I just thought I’d try.”

Her attention was then caught by a small flashing light on the data display which was accompanied by a high-pitched beeping sound.

“What’s that?” she asked Enzo, pointing to the display.

“Transmission,” he replied distractedly as he keyed frantically at the data display, bringing up various boxes and tapping in complex algorithms as he spoke.

“Is it-”

“Yes.”

Another transmission from the Imperials.

Leia watched anxiously as Enzo worked away at the data display. What would they send them this time? More of Luke, no doubt, Leia thought as the symbols on the screen changed rapidly in front of her. Her insides fluttered and she had to hold onto the back of Enzo’s chair to keep herself steady. The first transmission had been bad enough. What horrifying footage was waiting for them now at the other side of the decryption? Leia felt like she didn’t want to know.

“How long will it take to decrypt it?” she asked tentatively, not wanting to interrupt Enzo’s concentration.

“About five minutes or so,” Enzo replied as he keyed a final algorithm into the computer and leaned back in his chair. “I’m running the decryption now.”

Leia frowned. “Only five minutes?” That was an awfully short time, especially when the previous one had taken almost an hour.

“Yeah. It’s the same encryption code as the last transmission,” Enzo explained. “The computer’s already broken it once. After that, decryption is simple.”

“I see,” Leia murmured.

Enzo turned around to face her.

“I know it’s not my place to ask,” he started hesitantly, “but these were no chance interceptions, were they?”

“I’m afraid not,” Leia sighed, rubbing her forehead.

“Wait, what do you mean?” Skyro asked, looking slightly puzzled. “You’re suggesting that the Imperials are purposely leaking footage of Commander Skywalker and in turn also revealing their location? Why would they do that?”

Leia hesitated, unsure of whether or not she should tell them High Command’s current opinion on the matter.

“You can trust us,” Skyro added, looking to Enzo who nodded readily in return. “I mean, I just spent hours undergoing rigorous psychological evaluation and I passed. And Enzo here wouldn’t be on this job unless he was the most trustworthy person out. You have our word, Your Highness. We won’t tell anyone what you tell us.”

Leia sighed. He did have a point. And in any case, what was the point of hiding the truth when it would all be revealed soon enough when they set out to rescue Luke?

“Yes, we believe that the Imperials are indeed purposely leaking the footage,” Leia began. “The first encryption was incredibly lazy, which suggested to us that there was something more going on than just a chance interception. We have discussed the issue at length and now believe that the Imperials intend to lure us into a trap.”

“And we’re gonna walk right into the trap, aren’t we?” Skyro sighed.

“Yes, but not blindly,” Leia replied. “We know it’s a trap and we know they’ll be waiting for us. We can work with that. And anyway, we have no choice. The longer Luke stays aboard the Executor, the more likely it is that he won’t survive.”

Skyro sighed again. “They do make us fight for it, don’t they?” he mused.

Leia nodded quietly and then flicked on her commlink, keying for High Command.

“This is Leia,” she spoke into the transmitting device as soon as she was acknowledged. “We’ve received another transmission. It’s being decrypted now and will be forwarded to the command room as soon as it is ready.”

“Thank you, Leia,” Mon Mothma replied. Her voice sounded calm but Leia knew that the Rebel leader was concerned underneath. She was just very good at hiding it. And that was what made her such a good leader.

Leia switched the commlink off and looked at the screen.

“How much longer?” she asked.

“Not much,” Enzo responded. “It’s almost done.”

“Shouldn’t you be returning to the command room, Your Highness?” Skyro asked, turning to look at her.

“Honestly, I’d prefer to stay here,” she replied as she thought back to the confrontation with Commander Lears. She did not want to face that again anytime soon because she knew that if she ever saw that arrogant look on Lears’ face again, she would waste no time in smacking it off. She was sick of people fearing things that they did not understand and instantly blaming them whenever something went wrong, especially when it concerned her friends.

Wisely, Skyro decided not to press her on that. Instead, he turned to the display as it flickered to black.

Then an image appeared and Leia’s breath hitched as the footage began to play. Luke was no longer strapped to the wicked torture machine. Instead, he sat at a cold, metal table, looking thoroughly worn and exhausted. His wrists were bound but he was otherwise unrestrained. Seated across from him was a man dressed in an Imperial uniform and to the side stood the intimidating figure of Darth Vader.

The interrogator spoke first. “State your name and rank,” he commanded Luke in a dull, monotonous voice.

Luke shifted in his seat but did not respond and Leia took the chance to examine him closer. Through the slight static of the recording she could tell that the torture had definitely taken its toll on the young Jedi. Luke’s hair was jagged and scruffy, looking messier than Leia had ever seen it, and his grey Alliance fatigues were sweat stained and torn in places. He had been through hell.

“State your name and rank,” the interrogator repeated, more harshly this time.

“Luke Skywalker,” Luke croaked, his voice broken and hoarse from the torture. “Commander of the Alliance to Restore the Republic.”

“Will you cooperate willingly in this interrogation?”

“I will,” Luke murmured, shifting in his chair again. It looked as if he was struggling to keep himself up. No doubt, he had been prevented from sleeping as a part of the torture, and whatever drugs they had used still seemed to be in his system, judging from the blank, not-entirely-there expression on his face.

“What is the current location of the Rebel fleet?” A test question, obviously. The Empire already knew their location, they were just testing Luke to see if he would tell the truth or not.

“Hoth,” Luke answered hoarsely after a moment’s contemplation. Leia felt her stomach jitter with nerves.

“And what is the location of the current Rebel base?”

Luke looked significantly confused as he struggled to make sense of the question through his drug-induced stupor. “There… isn’t one,” he replied slowly, his voice breaking midway and becoming extremely cracked and gravelly. “Just… Hoth.”

“So, the Rebels plan to set up another base on Hoth?” the interrogator asked.

Luke shook his head. “Hoth… was just the rendezvous point.”

“Then where are they headed next?”

“Somewhere far away where you’ll never find them,” Luke replied with more determination this time, a hint of his usual rebellious self shining through.

“You said you would cooperate.”

“I don’t know where they’re going.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“I’m telling the truth.”

Leia felt considerably relaxed. As much as she hated to admit it, she had thought for a moment there that Luke would tell them everything. With all that he’d been through, she wouldn’t blame him if he did spill all their secrets. Mind you, he wouldn’t do it willingly, but a severe lack of sleep always tended to twist the mind in ways that not even drugs could match. Luke probably couldn’t even tell if he was awake or not right now.

But her comfort at Luke’s defiance disappeared instantly as the interrogator turned to Darth Vader.

“My Lord?”

Vader didn’t move but Luke tensed visibly.

“No,” he whispered as he gazed at the Dark Lord of the Sith, fear evident in his voice. “No… No! No! No!”

Luke’s shouts of protest grew steadily louder as he stared at Vader. Leia frowned. Vader wasn’t even doing anything. But then Luke’s hands shot to his head and it all made sense. Vader wasn’t doing anything physically - he was doing it mentally. And Leia felt sick. Luke was screaming now, clawing at his head with his bound hands and shaking visibly in his chair.

“I’ll tell!” he yelled, his voice high and broken through his screams. “I’ll tell you everything!”

He continued writhing for a few more seconds, pleading for the mental attack to stop at the top of his lungs. And then he was suddenly still. His eyes were blank and his back was rigid.

“You’ll tell us everything?” the interrogator asked.

Luke nodded slowly. “Everything.”

“Then let’s start with the topic of the Rebellion’s new base. Where is it?”

“There isn’t one,” Luke replied simply.

The interrogator looked angry and was about to turn back to Vader, but then Luke continued.

“The Alliance currently has no permanent base of operations and they have not yet decided on the location of their next one. But I know the list of possible candidates.”

The interrogator smiled at the progress. “And what are the possible candidates?”

And Luke listed them - all nineteen potential locations for future Rebel bases. Leia’s stomach dropped. Whatever Vader had done, it had worked.

“Thank you,” came the smug voice of the interrogator. “And now, tell me what you know of the Rebellion’s plans.”

Luke opened his mouth to answer, but he was cut off by the mechanical tones of Vader.

“That is enough for now, Lieutenant.”

The interrogator looked as if he was about to protest, but Vader continued.

“The prisoner must learn that the Empire is not so easily forgiving and that he cannot escape punishment by giving us what we want. His compliance may be rewarded in the future, but for now he must face the punishment for his previous lack of cooperation.”

The door to the room slid open and two stormtroopers entered.

“We will continue this conversation later. Take him away,” Vader commanded.

And the screen flashed back to black as Luke screamed out in protest.

Leia cursed under her breath and heard Skyro do the same, only a little louder. This was not good. This was not good at all.

She had to get back to the command room - and quickly, before Commander Lears had the chance to sway the council his way. And with the footage that he now had, he would not waste any time in trying to convict Luke as a traitor.

“Get me the location,” she ordered quickly as she bolted from the room.

Skyro nodded and hurriedly got to work.

.

.

.

“Ah, Princess Leia,” came the gloating voice of Commander Lears as Leia stormed into the room. “Isn’t this a surprise?”

“Don’t you start!” she snapped, her finger pointed at Lears as she cut him off and made her way over to the main table. Lears looked affronted but shut his mouth nonetheless.

“Mon Mothma,” she addressed as she turned to face the Rebel leader. “I respectfully request with urgence that we go after Commander Skywalker as soon as we have the location.”

“I think that would be a wise,” Mon Mothma replied, her voice calm and authoritative in the tense silence.

“I object,” called Lears.

“Of course you do,” Leia bit back at him, but the Commander wasn’t put off by her anger this time.

“Why waste precious time and resources on a traitor like Skywalker?” Lears continued, ignoring Leia’s vicious glare. “Let’s face it. If we embark on a rescue mission, it will no doubt lead to battle and the loss of countless innocent lives. And there’s no guarantee that we’ll be successful anyway. Are you willing to take that risk, Your Highness? Are you willing to sacrifice hundreds of lives all for the man who has just betrayed the Alliance by giving valuable information to the Imperials?”

“Luke’s not a traitor, Lears,” Leia hissed. “Didn’t you see him? He has been drugged and tortured. Mentally abused, even! He hardly gave them anything!”

“‘Hardly gave them anything?’” Lears scoffed. “No, he hardly gave them anything at all… Just all the possible locations of our future bases!”

“Well, it was damn less than what you’d have given them had you been in Commander Skywalker’s situation,” she retorted, her anger now fully out of control. Oh, how she wanted to punch Lears right in his stuck-up, Corellian face.

“And, anyway, who knows what else he’s told them,” Lears continued, ignoring the slight that had just been fired at him. “We have no idea when that footage was recorded. It could have been half a day ago, for all we know! Skywalker could have told them everything by now. And you want to go rescue him!”

“He would do the same for us,” Leia snapped back. “I won’t leave him to die aboard the Executor at the hands of Vader!”

“It’s what he deserves,” hissed Lears.

That was it. He had gone too far.

Leia bolted at the Commander, fist pulled back and ready to punch. But she never even got close to Lears. Suddenly she was struggling in mid air, caught in the restraining arms of the other council members.

“Let me go!” she yelled, her eyes swimming with angry tears. How dare he say that about Luke! How _dare_ he! “I said let me go!”

“Leia. Commander Lears.” Mon Mothma’s voice was cold as she spoke their names, clearly conveying her disapproval.

Leia struggled one last time and then gave up, relaxing into the arms of the council members. She shot a filthy glare at Lears, who was also being restrained, and then turned to face Mon Mothma. But she had no intention of apologising for her actions.

“In the interest of resolving this conflict quickly,” Mon Mothma announced to the group, her voice slightly warmer than before but still holding a clear warning in its tones, “I call for a vote. All those in favour of rescuing Commander Skywalker, please raise your hand.”

Leia raised her hand without question, as did a number of the other delegates. Some of the council members were more reluctant, however, but when they looked from Leia to Lears, they too, raised their hands. In the end, only Lears and two other council members were left without their hands in the air.

“Then it is decided,” Mon Mothma stated, lowering her own hand.

Leia couldn’t help the victorious smirk that spread across her face as her faith in the command council was restored.

Mon Mothma turned to Lears, her gaze hard. “Lears, considered yourself dismissed until further notice,” she said simply.

Lears broke away from the restraining arms and straightened his uniform. “Very well,” he replied, his anger now having faded into something that resembled resignation. “I tried my best and did what I thought to be right. So, don’t blame me when the Alliance falls because of Skywalker.”

He shot Leia a look and then left the room.

Mon Mothma now turned to Leia, and Leia felt considerably nervous. They had ignored her outburst in the previous meeting, but this one had been a lot worse.

“Do you need to be dismissed as well, Leia?” Mon Mothma asked quietly. “Or will you be able to keep your emotions under check more successfully from now on?”

“I will,” Leia replied, chin raised. “Although I will not apologise for my actions here today.”

Mon Mothma regarded her for a moment, and Leia wondered if those had been the right words to say. But then the Rebel leader nodded slowly and said, “Very well. But if your personal attachment to Commander Skywalker begins to cloud your judgement, then I will ask you to sit this out until it is resolved.”

“I understand,” Leia responded, feeling considerably relieved but also a little nervous. She would have to keep her emotions under very tight control from now on and with all that was going on, she wasn’t sure if she could do that. But with Lears and his insulting opinions now out of the way, maybe she could finally start to get her old self-control back. And if it meant getting Luke back, then she would put all of her effort into it.

Mon Mothma gave her a small smile and she returned it. Then her commlink buzzed and she grabbed for it quickly.

“Leia,” she acknowledged into the receiver.

“It’s Skyro, Your Highness,” came the voice of the young captain. “We have the coordinates. They’re being sent to High Command now.”

“Thank you, Skyro,” she replied, flicking the commlink off as she moved over to the holoprojector. She tapped the controls and soon enough a map of the galaxy appeared.

The rest of the command council moved over to her and gathered around the projector. Two dots appeared in between the mix of star systems and sectors, one green and one red.

“We are here,” said Leia as she pointed to the green dot in the middle of the Hoth system. “And the trace has placed the Imperial fleet here in the Endor system.” She pointed to the red dot and then tapped the controls again, enlarging the view of the Endor system.

“The system is largely uninhabited,” Leia explained as she read over the data that Skyro had sent her along with the coordinates. “And thanks to the expertise of our techs, we have been able to narrow the Imperial fleet’s location down even further. From what we can tell, they appear to be in orbit around the gas giant, Endor.”

Leia looked to the council. “I think it is time for me to hand over to Admiral Ackbar,” she said, stepping aside.

Ackbar thanked her and stepped forward. Leia watched as he began explaining the best rescue scenario and started giving orders to the various Commanders and Captains in the room.

She smiled. They were going to get Luke back.

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.

.

Luke rolled his head to face the door as it slid open with a whoosh and he was surprised to see the person who was entering. He had expected it to be the stormtroopers again, ready to drag him off to another torture session. But, no. It was Vader.

Luke gazed up at his father wearily, still heavily drugged and sluggish-feeling.

He raised his eyebrows. “What do you want?” he murmured.

“Come with me,” Vader rumbled, his mechanical tones not giving away even a hint of his intentions.

Luke gave a shaky laugh. “I don’t think that’s possible,” he mumbled back wryly. He hadn’t moved for hours and he had no intention of doing so any time soon. He was still shaking from the torture, albeit less noticeably now, and he still felt incredibly weak.

“Stand and come with me,” Vader repeated.

Luke groaned and groggily lifted his hand to his face, rubbing his tired eyes and brushing some of his messy hair out of his face. He blinked a couple of times and stared up at the ceiling. He had no intention of going anywhere.

“I said stand and come with me,” Vader hissed, his voice sinking dangerously low.

Luke ignored him. But he soon realised that that was not the best tactic.

A gradual chill began to spread over the room and Luke shivered, his heart rate picking up as he realised what it was. Vader was trying the mental Dark Side attack again. Luke closed his eyes and gritted his teeth. Throughout the hours that he had spent isolated in his cell, he had not felt even a tingle from the Force - not from the Light and not from the Dark. And that was how he wanted it. Vader had revealed the darkness within him and Luke was determined not to let it out, even if that meant never connecting with the Force again. But now Vader was forcing the Dark Side on him once more, sending its dark, welcoming, promising tendrils towards his body and his mind. He felt its touch on his skin, felt it begin to draw the pain away.

But that was enough. He would not let it ensnare him once again.

“I’ll come,” he whispered quickly. “Stop and I’ll come.”

Vader did not respond, but Luke felt the Dark Side retreat, taking the coldness with it.

Luke took a deep breath and rolled onto his stomach. But his reflexes were slow and his face collided with the cold, grey ground, sending a sharp pain through his skull. Luke grunted in pain but continued moving. He had momentum now. He could get somewhere. Shifting his weight, he brought his knees closer to his body and pushed himself up with his arms. He staggered as he shifted himself upright, his head spinning dangerously as he stood for the first time in hours. His vision went white and he swayed, falling onto the wall as he tried to regain his sight. He stayed there for a few moments, leaning against the grey wall and breathing heavily. Then his vision cleared and he looked at Vader.

“Where are we going?” he panted. It had taken all of his effort just to reach a standing position and he didn’t know how long he could keep it up. They had better not be going far.

“Follow me,” Vader rumbled. And he turned and left the cells, his black cloak billowing out behind him.

Luke blinked. “Wha… Wait!” he called as he pushed himself away from the wall. He staggered drunkenly to the door and clung to it as he looked out into the cellblock passageway. Vader was nearing the end of it already.

Luke gritted his teeth and pushed himself forward, determined not to let Vader out of his sight, lest he earn his father’s wrath.

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Ignoring the commotion around her, Leia walked up to Home One’s main viewport and gazed out into the depths of space. The millions of stars in the black velvet sea twinkled back at her hopefully. She took a deep breath. Luke was out there somewhere and so was Han. Her two best friends, lost amongst the stars. But they had found one of them. They had found Luke and they would rescue him. And then together they would rescue Han.

“Princess Leia,” came the voice of Admiral Ackbar from behind her. Leia turned to face him. “The fleet is ready.”

She nodded and turned back to face the viewport. She heard the engines kick in and then the stars transformed into streaks of light.

Hold on, Luke, she thought. We’re coming.

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Luke stumbled along behind Vader as they made their way through the grey corridors of the Executor. He had managed to catch up to his father at the turbolifts and if he hadn’t been so focused on keeping himself breathing, that ride in the lift might have been extremely uncomfortable, what with the fact that his father had almost tortured him to death and all. But the trip up to the higher levels had passed quickly. Too quickly, actually. Luke’s mind was still playing tricks on him and every now and then he noticed blank spots appearing where he knew memories should be. He couldn’t even remember how he had gotten to his feet back in the cell. Oh, how he needed to sleep.

A large set of grey doors appeared ahead of them and Luke hoped that this was their final destination. His legs were trembling viciously now and he was moving purely from momentum. If he stopped, he’d probably fall over and face plant into the shiny, black tile.

The doors slid open and Luke teetered down the runway, struggling not to fall into the pits below where various Imperial officers were working away at data displays. Well, supposedly working. Most of them were too intrigued by the newcomer to actually pay attention to what they were doing, although they quickly returned to their work as Vader passed them by.

Vader came to a halt in front of the massive viewport that looked out into space and Luke collapsed to the ground at his father’s feet, heaving heavily. As he gazed up into the black void in front of him, he finally realised where he was: the bridge.

Luke continued to catch his breath as someone approached them. From his position on the floor, all he could see was the man’s shiny, polished boots, but he had no doubt that it was Admiral Piett.

“The fleet is in position, My Lord,” the Admiral informed Vader.

“Good,” Vader rumbled. “Hold here.”

“Yes, My Lord.” Piett nodded and strode away from them to return to his duties.

Luke pushed himself up into a sitting position. He supposed he didn’t look very dignified sitting there at Vader’s feet, but he really couldn’t do any better. He was just so exhausted. And his ragged appearance wouldn’t do him any credit anyway, so why waste his limited energy in an attempt to look like something he wasn’t? He shifted slightly as Vader looked at him.

“Soon your friends will arrive,” Vader rumbled, turning his gaze to the stars. “And you will witness the end of the Rebellion.”

“No,” Luke whispered hoarsely between breaths. “They won’t come… They won’t risk everything just for me.”

“Oh, but they will, Luke,” Vader replied. “They are on their way now; my spies aboard Home One have confirmed it. Your pitiful Alliance has walked straight into our trap.”

Luke shot a glare at Vader, although it probably looked more like a dazed stare than anything. “You won’t win this, Vader,” he growled.

But his father ignored him. “The entire Imperial fleet is armed and ready to fire upon the Rebel ships when they arrive. They will be destroyed, Luke. Every last one of them.”

“No.” Luke shook his head, but he was beginning to become worried. The entire Imperial fleet…

“Unless…” Vader trailed off as he looked out into the black void of space.

“Unless what?” Luke asked quietly, although he already knew the answer.

“Unless you choose to join me, Luke,” Vader replied, turning to face him. “If you pledge yourself to my teachings, if you submit yourself to the ways of the Dark Side, then I will call off the attack and your friends will be spared.”

Luke looked up at Vader. “Never,” he spat. “I have faith in the Alliance. They will not be destroyed.”

“As you wish,” replied Vader coolly as he crossed his arms and raised his chin.

Luke frowned. He had thought he would have gotten more of an argument than that. But then something caught his eye and he turned to look out the viewport.

And what he saw made him instantly regret his decision. There, only now coming into view, was a large, grey orb, floating off to the side of the rest of the fleet. He had seen the design before, but this one was much larger.

Luke gulped. Star Destroyers were one thing, but the Death Star... The Rebellion might have stood a chance against the fleet… but against the fleet _and_ the Empire’s deadliest superweapon? Luke’s stomach dropped as he stared in horror at the battle station.

Then he turned to face Vader and opened his mouth to speak.


	5. Chapter 5

“I…” Luke faltered.

He looked back out to the stars which were now partially obscured by the intimidating visage of the Death Star reborn. Vader shifted slightly beside him as Luke crawled closer to the viewport.

“I…” he tried again.

“Yes?” rumbled Vader darkly.

Luke curled his hands into fists and leaned into them on the cold tile, pressing as much of his weight down into his knuckles. He gritted his teeth at the pain but held the position, and as he did so, he felt the fogginess in his mind begin to recede. The burning sensation that ripped through his muscles gave way to adrenaline and in turn to the detoxification of his body. If the Force came to him in that moment, he didn't acknowledge its presence.

With his mind refreshed and his body now free from the drugs, Luke gazed out at the Death Star with a new perspective. Its enormous, grey figure floated innocently amongst the stars but this time Luke was not deceived. The armoured space station was considerably larger than the first Death Star - larger, but not complete.

Nowhere near complete, actually, Luke mused as his eyes skimmed over the superweapon, which had now rotated enough to reveal that at least half of the station was, as of yet, incomplete. And that obviously meant that it wasn’t operational.

Luke sighed with relief. It was all just a ploy - just a scare tactic! And it was clever - Luke had to give them that. If the Alliance arrived to find the Imperial fleet waiting for them _and_ a carefully positioned Death Star, then they would be significantly put off their game. They would still probably go for it and try to rescue him, but with two threats instead of one, they would be forced to split their forces. And that would make them vulnerable.

But the Alliance knew a lost cause when they saw one and they would no doubt call a retreat as soon as things began to get out of control. Luke just had to have faith that they wouldn’t wait too long to withdraw from the fight. He had to have faith in the Rebel leaders - in Mon Mothma and Admiral Ackbar, the ones who would be leading the attack. And he had to have faith in Leia.

Leia…

Luke looked out to the stars. Somewhere out there, Leia was on her way. But she would never reach him. Luke knew her rescue attempt would be futile; the Alliance would not be destroyed, but they would not win either. His fate was sealed.

He turned to face his father. Vader was staring down at him with an air of impatient expectancy and Luke was almost inclined not to indulge him.

But, instead, he took a deep breath and looked at the floor, deliberately avoiding his father’s dark stare.

“I …” he whispered sadly with an air of defeat.

He allowed two cycles of Vader’s mechanical breathing to pass before he lifted his head and looked up into the dark, shiny mask.

“... will never join you!” he said loudly, confidently, so that everyone could hear.

There was complete silence on the bridge, broken only by the sharp cyclical hiss of Vader’s respirator every couple of seconds. Luke didn’t even need the Force to feel the tension in the room. All eyes were trained on Vader, watching and waiting in avid anticipation for his response to the unruly prisoner. Luke noticed the guards at the door shift uneasily, most likely preparing themselves to drag his dead body out of the room after he came to the short, choking end that Vader was no doubt about to enact.

But that end never came. And Luke was not surprised. Even though Vader had a reputation for killing anyone who got on his nerves, he knew that his father would not be able to do it. He would not kill his son. Not now, after all he’d been through to find him and capture him.

He also knew that he would pay for his defiance eventually and that Vader would continue to come up with more ways to force him into submission. And maybe one day he might just be successful. But that day would not be today.

Luke smirked at his father but Vader didn't even respond. Instead, he turned to face Admiral Piett, who was standing stock still at the end of the runway. But, as soon as the Sith Lord's gaze fell upon him, Piett came to his senses and turned to his crewers, giving them a look that said 'get back to work if you want to live.' Everyone immediately turned back to their stations and Piett approached Vader.

"The Rebels should be here within five minutes, My Lord," informed Piett, shooting a quick glance down at Luke. "What are your orders?"

"You will wait until I give the command to attack, Admiral," Vader instructed. "The Alliance will be destroyed but I have something planned for them first. Is the transmission ready to be sent?"

"At your request, My Lord," Piett confirmed. "Although you will forgive me if I query your decision not to encode it?"

"We do not have time for the Rebels to decrypt it, Admiral," Vader rumbled with a hint of impatience echoing through his mechanical tones. "It is to reach them as soon as they arrive."

"Of course, My Lord. It will be done," replied Piett with a nod.

Vader dismissed him without a word as he turned back to face Luke, who had been listening to the conversation quietly. His father then turned to look out the viewport once more.

Luke frowned as the Admiral turned away. What transmission were they talking about and why was it so important that it reached the Alliance as soon as they turned up? And, more importantly, why were they even sending the Alliance a transmission in the first place? It made no sense. If they truly wanted the Alliance destroyed, then blowing them to pieces the instant they arrived would be the logical option, not sending them a welcome message.

But Luke didn’t have enough time to make sense of the mysterious transmission because his attention was promptly caught by a small movement from outside the viewport. He quickly turned his head to look out at the stars and felt his stomach drop.

With a flicker of pseudomotion the Alliance fleet appeared.

Luke swallowed nervously and wiped his palms on his trousers. Now he would find out if his defiance had been the right decision.

 

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Leia stepped onto the bridge of Home One just in time to see the blue swirls of hyperspace transform into streaks of light. The engines purred to a halt and the planet Endor appeared in front of them - along with the _entire Imperial fleet_. But that was not what caught Leia’s attention. They had been expecting the fleet to be there but that was it; they had most definitely not been expecting to see another Death Star.

Leia felt her blood freeze at the sight of the Empire’s new superweapon. It was over twice the size of the previous model and its superlaser was angled directly at them. Positioned to the side of the fleet, its visage was menacing and intimidating, yet something seemed off and Leia stepped closer to the main viewport to get a better look.

Upon closer inspection, the Death Star appeared to be relatively incomplete and Leia felt considerably relieved at the realisation. The side that was facing them had seemed finished at first glance, but now that Leia could see the darker strip through the middle and the rough, jagged edges on the side it was obvious that the superweapon was not yet finished. Leia grinned. The Empire had tried to fool them but they were not that gullible. It would take significantly more than a simple maneuvering trick to scare the Alliance away.

“The Death Star’s just a ruse,” Leia informed the command crew as she turned around to face Admiral Ackbar. “It’s not complete yet.”

“Can we get a reading on the battle station?” Ackbar asked one of the techs after acknowledging Leia’s input. The momentary shock that had come over the command bridge at the sight of the Death Star had disappeared and now everyone was working frantically away at their tasks, the noise level rising dramatically.

The tech shook his head. “They’re jamming us, sir,” he responded, barely audible over the noise of the busy command crew.

But before Ackbar could respond, another tech called out, “Incoming transmission!”

“Decrypt it,” ordered Mon Mothma, striding over to the tech’s side.

“All wings move out and -,” Ackbar began into his commlink, but he was suddenly cut off by an ear-piercing scream that echoed throughout the bridge,

A number of the crewmembers started in shock, whilst others quickly covered their ears as they looked around for the source of the noise, but Leia froze instantly. Every muscle in her body tensed and her fingers curled as she recognised the scream. Another pained yell rang out as this time an image appeared on every viewscreen in the room. And now everyone froze, their attention caught in horror by the footage they were seeing.

Leia didn’t even look. Grabbing her commlink roughly from her pocket and keying in a transmission code, she gave the order that she technically had no right to give. “All wings move out and engage. I repeat, move out and engage the Empire.”

 

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“The Alliance is moving into attack formation, Lord Vader,” Admiral Piett informed as he stepped up to the viewport.

“Was the transmission received?” Vader rumbled without turning to face the Admiral.

“Yes, My Lord,” Piett responded with a nod.

“Good,” Vader replied darkly and Luke shivered as he wondered what the transmission contained. Whatever it was, it had not stopped the Alliance from attacking. Instead, Luke noticed, it had sent them into what he assumed was some sort of panicked frenzy, taking up formation much earlier than he had ever seen them do. So, this was Vader’s plan: confuse the enemy and then take them down.

“Engage,” Vader commanded.

Piett relayed the command to the crewers and Luke shifted nervously onto his haunches as he watched the Rebel ships come swirling into view, lasers firing.

 

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Leia glared darkly out at the Imperial fleet as she watched the Alliance snub fighters scream past the viewport and towards the enemy. Glittering lights in the distance indicated that the Imperials were now launching their own fighters. Good, she thought. Time to get down to business.

The Empire would pay for what they did to Luke - for what they were still doing to him. Leia swore to herself that she would not stop until she personally saw to Vader’s demise and to the demise of the entire Empire. The screams that were still echoing throughout the cabin only sought to strengthen her resolve.

She turned to Admiral Ackbar who, like everyone else, was still staring in fixated horror at the viewscreens.

“Admiral,” she said loudly to draw his attention.

The Mon Calamari swiveled his large head around to face her and his expression was hard. The previous transmissions that they had received had been taxing enough, but this one… This one was on a whole new level and it showed clearly in the Admiral’s grim determination.

The Empire had gone too far this time.

“The squadrons are moving out and they await your orders,” she informed him.

Ackbar nodded and began giving out commands to both the staff on board the bridge and to the squadrons making the attack on the Imperial fleet. With everything now back on track, the stunned silence on the bridge was swiftly replaced with an ordered chaos. The violent footage was still playing but everyone was doing their best to ignore it, instead turning their focus onto the tasks at hand.

Leia looked out the viewport once more and let her thoughts stray to Luke for a few seconds. He was so close but yet so far. Leia mentally crossed her fingers, hoping that this would all end well. Then she turned and strode over to Mon Mothma, who was hovering behind the tech who had announced the transmission.

“Shut it off,” she ordered as she approached his desk, looking at anything but the viewscreens showing the sickening footage of Luke’s continued torture.

“I can’t,” the tech replied, tapping furiously at the screen. “They’ve hacked our system. I can’t stop it.”

Leia frowned. “That’s not possible,” she said, looking to Mon Mothma with concern. “Is it?”

Mon Mothma shook her head softly, her brow creased. “Not by my understanding. From the distance they are at, it is impossible to infiltrate our system. They would need someone on board Home One to…” she trailed off as she looked to Leia with a flash of realisation in her eyes.

Leia understood immediately.

The security leak.

Leia grabbed for her commlink once again and keyed in her transmission code.

“Skyro,” she spoke into the device quickly. “Skyro, come in.”

The commlink crackled for a moment, then came Skyro’s voice, warped a little by the static. “This isn’t the best time, Your Highness. I’m a little busy right now.”

“I need you to run a trace for me,” Leia replied, brushing some strands of hair out of her eyes as she glanced towards the viewport and the battle transpiring outside.

“Not possible, Your Highness. Ah -” Skyro’s voice broke off and the commlink crackled for a second. Then he continued, “Sorry.”

“It’s important.”

“I’m sure it is, but I’m busy. Get Enzo to do it.” Skyro’s voice was hard to read through the crackling of the commlink but Leia could tell that his attention was elsewhere at the moment.

Leia flipped a switch on her commlink, setting the security to a top-level encryption code, before speaking again. “Skyro, listen to me. This is a confidential request. I trust only you for this job. I need you to run a trace on a transmission and find the person who has hacked our system.”

“I’m deeply flattered that you think so highly of me, Princess,” Skyro replied, still with an edge of distraction. “But I don’t have the technical capability to do that right now.” He paused for a moment before taking a deep breath and continuing. “I’m not exactly aboard Home One right now.”

Leia frowned. “What? Where are you?” The last she’d known, Skyro and the other scout group members had been restricted to Home One until further notice so that they could continue to be monitored.

The commlink hissed with static and Leia thought she heard a muffled curse.

“Skyro?” she asked, brow still creased. “Where are you?”

“Now’s not the time,” Skyro replied hastily. “We have bigger issues. The Death Star is operational.”

“ _What_?” Leia asked incredulously, eyebrows raised. “How do you know?”

“I bypassed the jamming a couple of minutes ago and have been running scans on the battle station ever since,” Skyro answered rapidly. “I almost got caught by the tractor beam in the process but hey, where’s the fun without a little risk?”

Leia gaped as she realised where Skyro was.

“You’re not -?”

“Focus, Princess,” Skyro replied and Leia closed her mouth instantly. “You need to get your shields up to maximum and take evasive action; they’re charging the superlaser now. It won’t be long before they make a strike - and Home One is a better target than anything.”

Home One was the most well-equipped ship in the fleet but it did not stand a chance against a superlaser of such incredible magnitude and Leia knew this. She didn’t even respond to Skyro as she bolted over to Admiral Ackbar, knowing full well that they were likely to be the first victim of the Death Star reborn if they didn’t take action right this very instant.

“The Death Star is operational,” Leia breathed out in a hurry. “Admiral, you have to trust me on this. We need to take evasive action immediately.”

Ackbar looked like he was about to protest - after all, every piece of data they had received so far indicated that the superweapon was offline - but he stopped short as he saw the honesty in her concerned expression.

He then turned to his crew. “Shields up to maximum and take evasive action! Get us out of range of the Death Star!”

Leia stumbled on her feet as Home One careened downwards and to the side, the artificial gravity system taking a moment to catch up to the sudden change in position. Once she regained her footing she turned to face Mon Mothma, who had just called for her in a voice stricken with pained urgency.

“What is it?” Leia asked with concern as she approached the Rebel leader.

Mon Mothma’s eyes were troubled as she glanced from the viewscreens to Leia. “The footage is live,” she whispered quietly.

Leia felt her stomach drop and her blood chill. “Live?” she repeated hoarsely, not wanting to think about the implications of that statement.

Mon Mothma nodded, giving her a sympathetic look. “There could be a delay of a few seconds up to a few minutes, but, ultimately what we are seeing here is happening right now.”

Leia’s resolve broke and she looked up at the nearest viewscreen, feeling incredibly sick. The previous torture session had been horrifying and Luke’s screams had since been engraved in her mind, but this… This was a million times worse. The Empire was making their point now: Luke didn’t have long to live unless the Alliance surrendered. Leia watched in agony as Luke writhed in pain. The electric shocks were running through him almost constantly now and he never ceased screaming except to take short, ragged, heaving breaths. Leia clenched her fists. Surrender was not an option, but neither was letting Luke die. Her part in the rescue was not meant to happen until much later in the operation, but Luke was running out of time and she didn’t have a choice.

She turned to Mon Mothma. “I have to leave,” she announced. “Now.”

Leia turned to the door but the Rebel leader grabbed her arm roughly, preventing her from going anywhere.

“I can’t let you do that,” Mon Mothma said in a voice that spoke volumes of authority.

Leia whipped her head around to face the older woman and she couldn’t help the fire in her voice as she replied, “I understand that it is not ideal for me to embark on my mission now, Mon Mothma, but there is no other option. Luke will die if I don’t go to him.” She pulled her arm free of Mothma’s grip and took a step back. “Is my crew ready?”

“It’s too dangerous, Leia,” Mon Mothma pleaded, for once letting go of her controlled exterior and letting her emotions show through. “I can’t lose you like I lost your father.”

“Is my crew ready?” Leia repeated harshly through gritted teeth. She didn’t have time for sentimentality; the clock was ticking and Luke had an appointment with death.

Mon Mothma sighed and Leia could see the resignation in her tired eyes. “Yes,” she replied quietly, almost as if she didn’t want Leia to hear her words.

“Good.” Leia turned to leave but a sudden burst of bright light flooded the bridge and Home One careened again, sending her stumbling into a wall.

Leia picked herself up and turned in horror to face the viewport. The Death Star was up and running and was now firing repeatedly at the Alliance snub fighters as well as at the larger ships that were still within range of the superlaser. Thanks to Skyro’s early warning, Home One had made it out of range - but only just in time. The first blast from the superweapon had missed them narrowly and the crew had taken immediate evasive action in case any more shots came their way. But they were safely out of the danger now and the Imperials had instead turned their firepower on the smaller Rebel ships that were leading the attack on the fleet. It was risky business; snub fighters moved fast and there was no guaranteeing that the superlaser blast would hit an Alliance ship instead of an Imperial one. But the Empire seemed perfectly fine with sacrificing its own fighters in an attempt to bring down the Rebellion once and for all. This was war, after all, and war required sacrifices to breed victory.

Leia stepped towards the viewport slowly, her hands shaking with the shock from coming so close to death. Luke’s screams still echoed throughout the cabin but everything seemed silent to her as she gazed out at the battle. Explosions littered the sky as both Alliance and Imperial fighters alike erupted into brilliant bursts of flame as they fell prey to the enemy’s fire. She heard the cries of the pilots echoing throughout the bridge as their ships were hit and they were sucked into the vacuum of space, never to breathe or speak or hear again. The destruction and the desolation and the death was overwhelming.

And all this was happening for one man…

For Luke.

 

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Luke froze in horror as a burst of brilliant green light flashed across the viewport towards the Alliance’s largest ship, Home One.

_Leia!_ his mind screamed, but the command ship rolled swiftly and the deadly laser missed by metres. Luke let out a short sigh of relief, but it was cut short as he realised where the blast had come from.

The Death Star.

It was operational.

Luke watched in terror as the superweapon changed its target and proceeded to fire on the various snub fighters frolicking around in the sky. Bursts of light filled the viewport as the Death Star made successful hits time and time again, taking out both Alliance and Imperial starfighters in rapid bursts of green firepower.

Luke could feel his father’s delight as an Alliance X-Wing was obliterated just in front of them and he could also feel the pilot’s pain as he came to a violent, flaming end. Luke recoiled instantly, shying away from the viewport as if that would break the sudden unwanted connection with the Force. He fell back against the cold, polished floor gasping for air as he attempted to close his mind off from the overwhelming pain that was emanating from the devastating space battle. It took a few moments, but soon enough he was alone again, disconnected from the living energy field. But that didn’t mean he was blind - far from it, actually and the reality hit him like a badly plotted hyperspace jump through an asteroid field.

All of this was happening because of him.

It was all his fault.

And now he had to fix what he had started.

 

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“We have to go,” she whispered quietly to herself. “We have to leave.”

Leia turned around to face Mon Mothma with a look of absolute despair as she came to accept the truth of the situation. They were severely outnumbered and they had already lost countless ships to the wrath of the Empire; they couldn’t stand to lose any more.

Mon Mothma’s face was grim but Leia could tell that the Rebel leader was also struggling with the hopelessness of their cause. They were so close to achieving their objective - they were so close to saving Luke, but then again they were still so far away. And they had a responsibility - a duty to the Alliance and its people that they needed to uphold.

The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.

Leia gave a short nod to Mon Mothma, conveying her agreement to whatever course of action the Rebel leader thought best, even though it pained her to do so. Mothma acknowledged her silently and moved over to Admiral Ackbar, conversing quietly with the military commander. Leia watched without a word as Ackbar nodded and started relaying the order to retreat. Red flashing lights filled the bridge and an automated voice filled the air with cries of “Retreat! Retreat!”

Leia blinked back tears as she turned again to face the viewport. From her position on the bridge she could clearly see the intimidating silhouette of the Executor as it was lit up repeatedly by nearby explosions. That was where Luke was. That was where he was being tortured and abused.

That was where he was going to die.

_No_ , Leia thought sharply as she moved over to an empty tech desk and sank into the seat, dropping her head into her hands. No. Luke couldn’t die. It wasn’t possible. He was always so happy - so full of life and joy - that Leia couldn’t even imagine trying to put the words ‘Luke’ and ‘dead’ together in a sentence. Perhaps there was a chance that Vader wouldn’t kill him?

But Leia knew her hopes were futile. The Alliance wasn’t going to surrender and they were most definitely not going to hang around long enough to be destroyed. And that meant that Luke’s life was forfeit. And Leia felt her spirits drop even further as she realised that it was always going to be. Luke’s death had been secured the moment he had handed himself over to the Empire on that fateful evening only a couple of days ago. Luke had known he was going to his death but he went anyway. And he had done it for her.

Oh, how she missed him already.

_You promised you would return, Luke_ , she thought miserably as she rubbed away the tears that had started to fall. _You promised_.

 

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.

.

 

Luke looked to Vader. His father’s shining mask flickered in the light of exploding starfighters as he gazed callously out at the battle, ignoring his son completely as he revelled in his victory. Luke closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to convince himself that he was about to do the right thing.

Four words. That was it. Four words and he could end this all - end the suffering and the destruction. But he couldn’t bring himself to say them. He had fought so hard, endured so much. And for what?

Luke looked hopelessly out at the stars. Alliance fighters were being obliterated every second, yet the Rebels had not made any move to retreat. He had hoped that they would be the ones to end this, not him. But perhaps it was his job to do, his task alone. After all, his destiny was to rid the galaxy of the Empire and how could that be possible if the Alliance was destroyed? The Rebellion was the shining hope for the galaxy, not him. He was just a tool, a leverage device to get them where they needed to go. And if his destiny required him to sacrifice himself to Vader, then he would gladly do it in the name of the Alliance - in the name of Leia.

Luke took another deep breath and turned to face his father. He straightened his posture as much as his aching muscles would allow and found within himself the courage that he needed to end this.

Luke opened his mouth and Vader turned to look at him. “I -”

But he was cut off abruptly by the sound of Admiral Piett’s voice. Luke turned sharply with a glare as the man approached Vader in a hurry. “Lord Vader, the Rebels are retreating!”

Luke’s anger at the interruption dissipated in an instant as the Admiral’s words reached his ears. The Alliance was retreating! He quickly turned to look out at the battle, and, sure enough, tiny flickers of pseudomotion littered the sky as the Alliance fleet started making the jump to hyperspace, ship by ship.

“Do you want us to track them, My Lord?” Piett asked.

“No,” Vader growled and Luke felt chills skitter down his spine as he sensed Vader’s anger. It was worse than he had ever felt it before and Luke felt considerably scared for his own safety as his father turned menacingly to face him. He continued glaring down at Luke as he said, “Let them go, but destroy as many of them as you can before they make the jump to hyperspace.”

“Yes, My Lord,” Piett responded. “It will be done.”

Then the Admiral left, leaving Luke alone to suffer Vader’s fury.

 

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.

 

Leia sniffed and brushed her hair out of her face as she looked towards the viewport. The various snub fighters that were still capable of flight were now making the jump to hyperspace and to safety. The larger ships had already left, but Home One was still making its preparations. That wasn’t a cause for concern though; the Rebel command ship was well out of range of the Empire’s weapon targeting systems by now.

Leia watched as an X-Wing disappeared in front of them, but she didn’t really see it go; her mind felt numb, like she was floating in a drug-induced stupor, the sounds of the bridge and Luke’s continued screams coming to her as if through a very thick fog. She gazed absently out at the stars, her resignation and hopelessness leading her into a dull sort of apathy. But her trance was soon broken by a high-pitched beeping sound.

Leia blinked and reached into her pocket, pulling out her flashing commlink. She thumbed it on and answered, “Leia.”

“Your Highness!” came Skyro’s voice, considerably clearer this time. “Why are we retreating? Have we rescued Commander Skywalker?”

Leia felt fresh tears flood her vision as she took a deep breath. “No,” she whispered shakily.

There was a considerable pause from Skyro’s end, then he responded. “I’ll get him.”

“What?” Leia asked, confused for a moment as she brushed the tears away again. Then she realised what he was saying. “Skyro, no!”

“It’s my fault he was captured in the first place, Princess,” Skyro replied with grim determination. “I have to at least try!”

“Skyro, no! Get back here!” Leia cried as she pressed herself against the viewport, trying desperately to find Skyro’s ship. “That’s an order!”

As she frantically searched the sky for an Alliance ship headed in the wrong direction she heard one of the command crewers shout something to Ackbar.

“Admiral, Red Four has deviated from his course and is headed towards the Executor.”

And then she spotted him. A small X-Wing shimmering in the starlight and headed directly for Vader’s flagship.

“If he will not change his course then leave him,” was Ackbar’s response.

“ _What_?” Leia shouted incredulously as she turned to face the military commander. “No! You are not leaving him, Admiral. No one else needs to die today.”

She didn’t wait for Ackbar’s response as she turned back to her commlink. “Skyro, change your course immediately. That’s an order. I repeat: that’s an order!”

“You’re not my commander, Princess,” Skyro replied with a rebellious air that reminded her so much of Han and Luke. “And even if you were -”

A sharp, high-pitched crackling sound hissed from her commlink and then it went silent. Leia felt her stomach drop as she checked the battery level of her commlink. Fully charged. It wasn’t her end that had caused the disconnection. Something had happened to Skyro.

“What happened?” she asked anxiously, turning to face the command crew.

“He’s been hit,” came the reply.

Leia’s eyebrows raised in shock and disbelief as she desperately called into her commlink, “Skyro! Skyro, come in!”

The silence continued and Leia felt as if she was falling into a deep, black void of loss and hopelessness. First Luke and now Skyro…

But suddenly the commlink flashed and the crackling returned. Then came Skyro’s voice, breathy and warped by the static, but there nonetheless. “I’m okay,” he said. “The hit wasn’t bad, but my hyperdrive’s been knocked out. I can’t make the jump to lightspeed. You go without me.”

“No, Skyro, we won’t leave you,” Leia replied firmly as she gave Ackbar a hard look. The Admiral shifted uncomfortably but gave her a short nod. “Turn your ship around and head for Home One as fast as you can. We’ll leave as soon as you’re aboard.”

“Copy that,” Skyro replied, although his voice sounded pained, no doubt from having to leave Luke in the hands of Vader.

Leia watched as the tiny figure of the X-Wing turned around and gradually became larger as it approached the Rebel command ship. Thankfully, no TIE fighters chose to come after him. As the X-Wing neared the viewport, Leia could see that it was badly battered and that the astromech unit inside it was smoking considerably. One more hit and Skyro wouldn’t have made it out alive. Leia held her breath as Skyro’s ship disappeared from her view and neared the hangar bay. She turned around to face the command crew, waiting for the confirmation that he had landed safely.

Soon enough, a young tech looked up and gave her a nod. Leia turned to Ackbar. “Let’s go,” she said, putting as much confidence and determination into her words as she could muster. She didn’t want to leave but she had to. She had a sworn duty to the Alliance and its people that she had to uphold. Their safety came first. It was what Luke would want her to do.

Ackbar nodded and was about to give the order to jump, but a soft voice suddenly caught the attention of everyone on the bridge.

“Leia…”

The voice was sad and Leia felt her blood freeze over as she slowly turned to face Mon Mothma. The Rebel leader looked significantly worn and tired, but that was not what Leia noticed - it was the softly creased eyebrows and glittering eyes that rooted Leia to the spot. Her pulse was pounding in her ears and she swallowed drily as Mon Mothma opened her mouth to speak again.

“Listen.”

Leia paused and listened, but there was complete silence aboard the bridge. She shook her head. “I don’t hear anyth-”

And then she realised.

Complete silence. _Complete and utter silence._

Her jaw dropped slightly and she exhaled sharply as she leaned into the table next to her, feeling as if the wind had just been knocked out of her. Her hands started to shake and she gasped for air as her mind spun dizzyingly.

“Make the jump,” she whispered hoarsely, although her voice was too cracked and shaky to be understandable.

“Leia,” Mon Mothma whispered soothingly, suddenly appearing at her side and placing a comforting hand on her arm. But Leia pushed her away.

“Make the jump,” she repeated as she stumbled towards the door, keeping her eyes fixed on the floor so that she couldn’t see the any of the viewscreens.

But she didn’t even need to look at them to see what they would show; her mind was already doing a perfect job of conjuring up the image for her. Leia felt bile rise in her throat as she tried to push the images away, but they were too strong, too vivid and she didn’t have enough strength to fight them any longer.

Leia bolted out the door and into the corridor, the image of Luke hanging limp in his restraints never leaving her mind as she rushed towards the only source of comfort that she now had.

 

.

.

.

 

Luke waited anxiously as Vader glared down at him, his large, black figure, imposing and terrifying at such a close proximity. Then Vader moved and Luke inhaled sharply, expecting his air to be cut off by a tight, firm pressure around his neck. But that didn’t happen. In fact, Vader’s movement wasn’t directed at him at all. Instead, the Dark Lord gestured to the guards by the wall and beckoned them over.

“Take him back to the cells and have him tortured,” Vader growled as they approached. “But no drugs this time.”

Then with a swish of his black cloak, Vader was gone and Luke was hauled roughly up off the ground. He struggled against the tight grips of the guards and twisted so that he could catch one last glimpse of the viewport and the stars beyond. There, in the distance, was Home One. All the other ships had now left and he wondered what they were waiting for. Whatever it was, it must be important, but he just hoped that they wouldn’t linger too much longer.

_Be safe, Leia_ , he thought, trying to project the words out to his friend like he had done that time on Bespin. But he was still too weak from the torture and his reluctance to connect fully with the Force limited his reach significantly. Luke sighed in resignation and despair as he was dragged out the door.

_ I will keep my promise, Leia. I will come back. _

 

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.

.

 

Leia bolted through the hangar bay doors, her hair flying out behind her, and then came to a stop as she searched for Skyro. He wasn’t hard to find - there were two ships in the bay and only one of them was an X-Wing. And there, standing to the side of the starfighter was Skyro, dressed in a flight suit and arguing quite vehemently with a young, ginger-haired pilot.

“Skyro,” she called, although her voice cracked midway and dragged her words into a high-pitched whisper.

At the sound of her voice, Skyro turned around and faced her with a smile, although his expression dropped the instant he laid eyes on her disheveled and red-eyed form. He glanced quickly at the pilot to his side and muttered something that Leia couldn’t hear. The redhead looked angry but turned away and headed for the doors.

Leia couldn’t hold it any longer. She rushed towards Skyro and wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face in his chest. Skyro didn’t even hesitate to wind his arms around her small form and pull her close, gently stroking her hair. Leia closed her eyes tightly, not wanting to let the tears fall because she knew that if she let them start they would never stop.

But then Skyro whispered softly, “What’s wrong? What’s happened?” and her resolve went to hell.

Leia opened her mouth to reply but a sob came out instead of words, and it was quickly followed by another one, although this time it shook her body and made her arms tremble. Skyro pulled her closer.

“L-” she tried, but she couldn’t get a word out between the heaving breaths and body-wracking sobs.

“Shh,” Skyro soothed her as he continued to gently stroke her hair. “It’s okay. It’s okay…”

Leia shook her head fiercely. “N-n-no, it’s not,” she wept hoarsely. It most definitely was not okay. Luke was… gone... and it was her fault! She should have saved him! She should have tried harder!

Another sob wracked her body as the image of Luke lying limp in his restraints flashed to the front of her mind again. No… No! No! No! She curled her fists into Skyro’s jacket and let out an anguished scream. If Skyro was taken aback, he didn’t show it. Instead, he just pulled her even closer, enveloping her in his warmth and offering her the safety and security she needed. Leia closed her eyes and tried to slow her breathing. Even with Skyro’s soothing presence to help her, it was a couple of minutes before she could breathe properly again without breaking into sobs. She didn’t want to leave Skyro’s embrace. Every now and then her body would shake slightly and he would run a gentle hand through her hair to calm her down. He was the only friend she had right now. Han was still lost and Luke was… Luke was… She couldn’t even bring herself to say it, let alone think it.

Almost as if he had been reading her thoughts, Skyro chose this moment to murmur, “No one’s ever truly gone if we remember them.”

Leia smiled sadly. “Trying to be philosophical, are we?” she teased half-heartedly.

She felt him exhale in a small, breathy laugh that stirred the loose hairs on the top of her head. “No,” he murmured. “Just trying to help.”

“Thank you,” she whispered, hugging him tight and closing her eyes again.

“You’re welcome, Leia.”

 

.

.

.

 

Luke tensed as he approached the door that lead to the torture chamber. Vader had ordered that he not be drugged this time and Luke had immediately been relieved by the statement.  But now he wasn’t sure whether it was a good thing or not. Granted, his first experience with Vader’s torture had been without drugs, but that session had been nowhere near as intense as the ones that had followed - and he had been completely under the influence of the drugs during those. And now he was facing the torture again and he felt exceedingly anxious. In a way, the drugs had been good - the torture had still been incredibly painful but the stimulants had given him a detached edge. Then again, they also made him incredibly susceptible to the Dark Side of the Force and that was what Luke feared the most at the moment, so he supposed that a little extra pain might be worth it.

Even still, Luke struggled against the iron grips of the guards as they pressed him closer to the door. Facing torture was no easy thing and it terrified him to no end. He was almost regretting not giving in and joining Vader.

No. He shook his head. That was absurd. He’d rather pain any day over having to submit himself to the ways of the Dark Side.

The door slid open and Luke frowned as two stormtroopers appeared in the doorway, blocking the view inside. They conversed quietly with Luke’s guards, then the escorts nodded and stepped back around the corner, dragging Luke with them.

Once the door was out of view, the guards stopped. Luke squirmed a little, testing their grip, but it was still as hard and restricting as ever. Leaning back, Luke rested his shoulders against the cold, grey wall and closed his eyes in an attempt to calm himself down.

But his curiosity got the better of him.

What was going on in the torture chamber and why had his session been delayed? Was it because of another prisoner or something else entirely?

Luke opened his mind and enhanced his senses, drawing on as little of the Force as possible - he didn’t want to stray too far and end up in a reunion with the Dark Side. He could sense the two stormtroopers, their minds boring and uninteresting, programmed only to obey their Master, Lord Vader. Luke extended his reach and fine tuned his senses, but he could not sense anyone else in the room. He frowned. That didn’t make sense. Unless they were preparing something especially wicked for him... Luke shuddered at the thought.

But then he heard the sharp click of the stormtroopers’ boots against the polished tile as they moved out of the torture chamber and into the corridor. But that wasn’t all he heard. There was also a soft rustling sound, like fabric against a hard surface… Luke’s brow furrowed in concentration. Reaching out with the Force, he sought out the two stormtroopers and, with a nauseous feeling in his gut, Luke realised the gravity of the situation.

It was fabric against a hard surface alright; it was a body being dragged out of the torture chamber and down to who-knows-where. Luke tasted bile in his mouth as he withdrew from the Force’s enhanced sight and back to reality. His hands felt clammy and he wiped them on his pants. What if that was going to happen to him? What if this was his last moment?

No. Surely not. Vader wouldn’t kill him _now_ … Would he?

Luke felt agitated as the guards dragged him towards the door. The last time he had been tortured he had almost died - he had almost _welcomed_ death. But now he didn’t want it. Not at all! He knew what he was fighting for now; the sight of the Alliance had given him the strength and the determination he needed to fulfil his destiny.

No, he wouldn’t die today. The Empire was still ruling the galaxy with a vicious grip and thousands of star systems were suffering. Even if there was no such thing as destiny, Luke knew that it was his job to save the galaxy by ridding it of the evil Empire and its tyrannical Emperor. Then - and only then - would he allow himself to welcome death. Only after every last trace of the Empire was gone and turned to dust.

The guards pushed him into the room and the door hissed shut.

 

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Luke awoke with a start, his pulse throbbing manically in his ears as he pushed himself up off the cold, hard floor. Blinking back the dizziness that came with the sudden shift in position, Luke looked around frantically, trying to figure out where he was.

Grey, grey and more grey.

He was back in his cell.

Luke took a deep, steadying breath and wiped the cold sweat from his brow. His hands were shaking and his pulse was still racing, but otherwise he was fine. More specifically, he had not fallen prey to the Dark Side.

Luke groaned as he pulled himself up onto the bench. His muscles screamed in protest and his arms shook visibly, but he got there - and was pleasantly surprised to find his poncho waiting for him, still folded up at the end of the bench. Luke smiled weakly and laid his head down on the makeshift pillow as he struggled to remember how he had gotten here.

The bridge… The Alliance… Oh, yes. The torture.

It could have been better and it could have been worse. Overall, the lack of drugs in his system had made it an excruciatingly painful experience, but it had also meant that he was able to reach unconsciousness. He couldn’t remember how long he has lasted before the pain had become too overwhelming to bear and he had blacked out. He was amazed that they had even _allowed_ him to pass out. The aim of previous tortures had been to wear him down, break his spirit and make him lose his mind by not allowing him to get even a single second of sleep. So, what did them now allowing him sleep mean? Did Vader have another plan for turning him to the Dark Side?

Whatever the meaning of this was, he would find it out later. Right now, all he wanted to do was sleep. Luke closed his eyes and let his mind and body relax.

But just as he was beginning to drift off to sleep, the door opened.

Luke resisted the urge to throw his poncho at whoever it was that was now standing in the doorway of his cell. Instead, he blinked and opened his eyes.

And immediately frowned.

“I never expected to see someone of such a high rank in a place as low as this,” Luke growled softly. He pushed himself up into a sitting position with a groan and a muttered curse as his back twitched painfully.

“Lord Vader requested that I give this to you personally,” Admiral Piett replied, ignoring Luke’s taunt and instead holding out a thick, black circular disc.

Luke frowned but took the object nonetheless, turning it over in his hands. It was a portable holoprojector of Imperial make, unlike any holo-device he had used before.

“Why would Vader give me a holoprojector?” Luke asked, looking at Piett with mild confusion.

The Admiral shifted uncomfortably at the incredibly informal use of his Commander’s name, but responded nonetheless. “For this, I believe,” he replied, holding out a thin, shiny circle.

Luke took it and examined it. There were no markings on the disc that indicated what it was, but Luke assumed that it was some sort of recording.

“What’s on it?” he inquired, staring down at the disc and the projector in apprehension. He had a feeling it wasn’t anything good.

When Piett didn’t respond, Luke looked back up at him and gave him a questioning look, but either the Admiral missed the look entirely or just chose to ignore it. Whatever the reason, Luke sensed that Piett had something else on his mind right now.

Luke leaned back against the wall in a subtle indication that Piett could speak his mind. The Admiral shifted slightly but then opened his mouth to speak.

“It is not my place to ask, but I can’t help but wonder why Lord Vader would show so much interest in a young Rebel like yourself,” the Admiral said, his gaze calculating and judgemental as it skimmed over Luke’s ragged appearance.

“Perhaps there’s more to me than my appearance would suggest,” Luke responded coldly. He didn’t like Piett but he didn’t hate the man either. He was an Imperial and obviously a very good one at that, seeing that he had made it to one of the highest ranks in the Imperial fleet aboard the Empire’s most feared flagship. But under all that, Luke could sense a basic desire to do good. It was misguided, yes, but it was still there and it did him justice. But Luke just wasn’t in the mood at the moment to show the Admiral any decent amount of respect, especially when had just interrupted Luke’s first chance to sleep in days.

“Perhaps,” the Admiral repeated evenly. His look wasn’t quite skeptical, but it wasn’t quite believing either.

“Is that all, Admiral?” Luke asked.

Piett looked momentarily affronted at being dismissed by such a lowly prisoner, but quickly regained his composure.

“For now,” he replied as he turned to leave, giving Luke one last calculating look before the door swished closed behind him.

With Piett now gone, Luke was free to play the holovid, but he wasn’t sure he wanted to. Holding the projector in one hand and the disc in the other, Luke wondered what Vader could possibly want him to watch. He thought over the few possibilities that came to mind but dismissed all of them immediately. Except for one: it had something to do with the Alliance. Whether generally or more specifically, Luke wasn’t sure; perhaps it had something to do with a certain dark-haired princess? But whatever it was, it was not going to be good, of that, Luke was certain. The Alliance was his only weakness and Vader was after a new tactic, so why not exploit the enemy’s vulnerability in order to break them? It was certainly a good plan, but Luke had already made it through the torture and the space battle; he was most definitely not going to lose now to some simple mind games.

Slipping the disc into the holoprojector, he held his breath, mentally preparing himself for whatever he was about to see. The projector flicked to life and a scene appeared in front of him. Luke frowned as he recognised it: it was the torture chamber. And there, strapped to the machine was… himself.

Luke felt considerably confused.

And then the audio kicked in and he almost dropped the projector as the miniaturised version of himself started screaming in agony. Luke watched in a mixture of horror, fascination and full blown confusion as holoprojector Luke writhed in pain, jerking violently against his restraints.

The recording didn’t last long and Luke switched it off as it began to loop over. Looking down at the projector in his hand, he couldn’t help but feel considerably perplexed.

What in all nine Corellian hells was Vader trying to achieve by showing him _this_?


	6. Chapter 6

 

A commlink beeped from somewhere behind her but she didn’t even hear it. She felt cold, numb… like the part of her that spread warmth through her body had been taken away. And, in a way, it had. Both of her friends had been snatched from her by Vader. First Han and now Luke. At least the smuggler was only lost, whereas Luke was… Luke was…

Leia closed her eyes and clutched at the blankets, burying her head deep into the pillows as tears threatened to break through once more. She still couldn’t bring herself to say it. It was still too soon. She wasn’t ready.

The commlink beeped again although this time it was followed by a muttered curse. Leia rolled onto her side to look at Skyro. The scout was seated at the table opposite her, his eyes red and puffy and his dark hair was mussed in a way that suggested he had fallen asleep at the table. Leia watched as he lifted the commlink to his mouth and spoke into it, although his words were too quiet for her to hear.

After a minute or so of quiet discussion with the caller, Skyro flicked the commlink off and looked at her.

“I have to go,” he said with a sigh as he rubbed his eyes and brushed his hair back into place. “Time to face the consequences for disobeying my orders, I suppose. Although, it’s not my fault the pilots on this ship are so gullible.”

Leia gave a half smile. “How exactly did you manage to get the x-wing?” she asked quietly.

“Oh, it wasn’t very exciting, I’m afraid,” Skyro replied as he stood up, pocketing his commlink and scooping up his datapad from the table. “Just gave the pilot some wrong information. Five minutes was all I needed to suit up and jump in the cockpit. It was utter chaos in the hangar, so no one even questioned my presence.” He shrugged and paused for a moment. Then he looked at her with a small, reminiscent grin. “The look on the pilot’s face though when he entered the hangar and realised what had happened… Oh, you should have seen it, Your Highness. It was priceless.”

Leia smiled lightly. “I’m sure it was,” she replied.

Skyro sighed. “Thing is, it probably wasn’t worth the repercussions…”

“Perhaps not,” Leia said quietly. “Although your warning about the Death Star has got to count for something. I’m sure they won’t be too harsh on you.”

Skyro snorted quietly, eyebrows raised. “Right… Well, I’d better go.”

“Good luck,” Leia whispered.

“Thanks,” he replied as he brushed down his jacket and ran his fingers through his dark hair one more time. Then he looked at her, and his expression was one of deep concern. “Will you be alright?” he asked softly.

Leia nodded, looking down slightly as the tears threatened to break loose once again. “I’ll be fine,” she murmured, rubbing her eyes and not meeting Skyro’s gaze. “I think I just need to get some sleep.”

“Alright,” Skyro replied, although she knew he wasn’t convinced. “I’ll drop by in the morning, if that’s okay?”

She nodded.

He paused for a moment, his expression still concerned, then he nodded and headed for the door.

“Thank you, Skyro,” she whispered. He turned and looked at her and Leia could see that his eyes were glistening with unshed tears. Then he gave her a small smile and left.

The doors slid shut and Leia leaned back into her pillows feeling incredibly empty and alone all of a sudden. Skyro’s presence in the room had been soothing. He was the only friend she had now, and even though she didn’t know him too well, there was something about him that made her feel happy, safe. Leia closed her eyes. Maybe it was because he reminded her so much of Han and Luke…

Leia put a hand to her mouth as she thought of Luke again, a soft sob escaping her lips. Tears brimmed in her eyes and she felt sick in the stomach. Why Luke? Of all the people in the universe that Vader could have wanted to capture, why did it have to be sweet, innocent _Luke_?

She was shaking now, sobs wracking her body and making her gasp for air. She couldn’t remember the last time she had cried like this, with so much raw and pained emotion. Her body ached right to the core, and as she drew her legs up to her chest she swore that this was the last time she would ever cry again because of Vader. That monster had just made an appointment with death.

And she would gladly swing the axe.

 

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Luke blinked his eyes blearily as the door to his cell slid open and a person stepped into the doorway. He groaned internally.

“Do you have a thing for disturbing people’s sleep, Admiral?” he asked with mild annoyance as he pushed himself up into a sitting position on the bench and rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

Piett didn’t respond. Instead, he held out a small stack of holodiscs.

Luke raised his eyebrows and rubbed at his eyes again. It was too early for this. Or was it late? He couldn’t tell. He had no way of determining the time in his cell. It was always just the same old grey walls and bleak lighting and nothing in between. They never even turned out the lights.

“Again?” he asked, giving his messy hair a ruffle as he took the discs from Piett. “What does Vader even hope to achieve by showing me these?”

Piett gave him a reproving glare for his informality, but responded nonetheless. “I wouldn’t know. Lord Vader is awfully secretive when it comes to you, Skywalker.”

Luke froze at the use of his name. Had Vader told Piett who he was, or had the Admiral just put two and two together? He glanced at the Imperial in front of him, feeling awfully nervous all of a sudden.

“You’re Luke Skywalker, are you not?” Piett continued. “The Rebel who destroyed the Death Star.”

Luke didn’t respond, but felt inwardly sick at the mention of the Death Star. All those people... All those lives he had taken… He was a monster…

No!

Luke inhaled sharply, quickly breaking his thoughts away from the memories that had never seemed to leave his mind since Vader had used them against him during the torture sessions.

He watched the Admiral cautiously, reaching out ever so slightly with the Force to gauge Piett’s intentions. He was the number one most wanted person in the galaxy and he was captured, unarmed and helpless. The only logical option would be to kill him right here, right now. But as Luke touched Piett’s mind, he was relatively surprised to find that the Admiral had no intentions of killing him. Not yet, at least.

“I find it surprising that Lord Vader has not killed you yet,” Piett mused, although his look was calculating. “But perhaps there is more to this story than I know.”

“Perhaps,” Luke responded stiffly. “Will that be all, Admiral?”

Piett gave him a once over. “That will be all.” And then he turned and left, leaving Luke alone again in his grey-walled cell.

Luke took a deep breath as the door slid shut and then exhaled slowly. The talks with the Admiral were always so cryptic and guarded. It was exhausting. He had never much fancied playing games of deceit where words had double meanings and you never really knew what your opponent was after. He supposed he would probably have to get used to it, though. He was in enemy territory now. He had to watch what he said.

Running a hand through his tangled locks, Luke looked down at the stack of holodiscs Piett had given him. There were three individual discs marked from one to three, although the third had a slightly different colouring suggesting that it probably wasn’t a video recording. Luke stared at them for a moment and then reached for the holoprojector, deciding that it was probably best to just go for it and not think about it too much. He was nervous enough already.

He slipped the first disc into the holoprojector and waited with baited breath as the holo flickered to life. A small room appeared, furnished only with a table and two chairs. Seated at the table was an Imperial officer and behind him was Vader, his black figure tall and menacing even in the tiny projection. And seated at the other side of the table was… himself. Luke frowned. But before he even had time to consider the situation, the Imperial officer spoke.

“State your name and rank.”

Holoprojector Luke didn't respond.

"State your name and rank," the officer repeated more harshly this time.

Luke watched in growing confusion as the holoprojector version of himself began to speak. He had no memory of this.

“What is the current location of the Rebel fleet?”

“Hoth.”

Luke’s stomach tightened. No. This wasn’t happening. He would never betray the Alliance… Would he? The recording certainly suggested otherwise...

And it only got worse.

By the time holoprojector Luke finished reciting all of the nineteen possible locations for future Rebel bases, real Luke was staring at the holo in abject horror. He didn’t even notice the recording flicker off as it finished. He was too dumbstruck by the fact that he had just given important Alliance intel to the Imperials… _willingly_.

He placed the holoprojector on the bench beside him and sunk his head into hands trying desperately to think. He had no memory of that interrogation. In fact, he had no memory of _any_ interrogations at all. All he had seen while he was here was either the grey walls of his cell or the bright ceiling of the torture chamber.

But then he remembered the drugs and his stomach dropped. The drugs had made him hallucinate, made him lose parts of his memory… Perhaps he had just forgotten about the interrogation? Perhaps it _had_ happened but he just couldn’t remember?

He frowned. No, that wasn’t possible. He would _never_ willingly betray the Alliance, whether under the influence of drugs or not.

But the footage said otherwise...

Luke felt numb as he slipped the disc out of the projector and slid disc two in. He didn’t really want to know what this one held, but how much worse could it get?

The holo flickered on and, like in the first disc Piett had given him, the torture chamber appeared with a miniaturised version of himself strapped to the machine. He thought he would be prepared for the screams this time, but no - it was even worse than that first video recording. The electric shocks were shooting through holoprojector Luke’s body at an alarming rate, making him arch and thrash against his restraints like he was possessed. And the screams… They were almost unhuman, bone-chilling and ear-piercing. But Luke watched on in unfazed silence.

Good, he thought harshly at the screaming figure in front of him. It’s what you deserve for betraying the Alliance.

The holoprojector version of himself continued to scream and jerk against the restraints for another couple of minutes, his cries becoming increasingly high pitched and pained. But Luke had seen enough. His initial shock at discovering his betrayal was beginning to wear off and now it was turning into angered disgust. He had deserved those torture sessions. He hadn’t known it at the time, but now he knew. And he would willingly take them on again. He wouldn’t even care if it killed him. Hell, he would probably _prefer_ it if it killed him. At least he wouldn’t have to spend the rest of his days knowing he had betrayed his friends and probably condemned them to death by doing so.

He recalled the memories that Vader had brought up during one of the torture sessions - the day he had destroyed the Death Star and all those countless lives with it. He gave a short humourless laugh. That was all he was good for, wasn’t it? Death and destruction. It followed him everywhere. First Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru, then Ben, then the Death Star and now he had ensured the destruction of the Alliance…

Luke threw the holoprojector across the cell at the wall with an anguished yell, but it didn’t shatter upon impact like he expected. Instead, it fell to the floor and flickered a few times. Then the audio cut out and Luke assumed the recording had finished. Only the holo was still showing the torture chamber… Luke frowned.

After another couple of seconds of the holo not turning off, Luke got up slowly and approached the projector. His muscles screamed in protest as he bent down to pick up the thick black disc, still sore and tense from the torture. Luke stared at the projection as he brought it up to his face and his brows furrowed in confusion. The miniature version of himself wasn't moving but the recording was still playing so that meant... He was dead?

But that was obviously impossible. Perhaps he was just unconscious? Luke shook his head. Well, _of course_ he was unconscious. He was alive, after all...

Luke frowned and examined the projection more closely. It didn't look that way though. There was smoke curling off of holoprojector Luke's body and the way he hung limp in his restraints just didn't look... _right_.

Then the holo flickered off and Luke was left feeling thoroughly confused. He obviously wasn’t dead. He was here right now. So what was going on in the footage? It certainly made sense that after such rigorous torture one might not survive but… he _had_ survived. Luke rubbed at his eyes and sat back down on the bench, twisting the device in his hands.

Then he turned the holo back on and fast forwarded through the clip to where the holoprojector version of himself had died - no, _passed out_. It was the only logical explanation… right?

Luke watched fixedly as miniature Luke writhed in agony, his screams becoming incredibly high pitched and breathy. And then it stopped. He watched himself give one last violent jerk and then fall still, arms and head hanging limp in the restraints, smoking lightly.

Although it was impossible, Luke just couldn’t shake the feeling that the figure in the video was dead. And then a thought occurred to him.

What if the footage had been faked?

That would explain the previous video seeing that he had no memory of leaking important information. And it would definitely explain how he was alive now but dead in the video. But then again, how did Vader manage to obtain the information about the future Rebel bases? That information was top secret and only a few people knew about those locations… Spies, perhaps? Vader did mention that he had spies aboard Home One. Luke grimaced. Either way, the footage meant that Vader now had important Rebel intel at his disposal and Luke just had to know whether he was the one who had leaked the information to the Imperials or not.

Luke closed his eyes and leant back against the wall. He was free of the drugs now, so perhaps if he just focused really hard on those blank spots in his mind…

Luke gasped as a bright pain shot through his forehead and he braced himself against the wall. But once the pain passed, his mind seemed clear and the blank spots… were blank spots no more.

Luke opened his eyes wide and he knew now.

He had never undergone Imperial interrogation.

Vader had faked the footage. He had faked Luke’s betrayal and he had faked his death.

But Luke’s relief at this realisation disappeared almost instantly as his mind then posed the question: _Why?_

Why would Vader go to such lengths to fake the footage only to show it to Luke and have him figure out that it was a forgery? Unless…

Luke’s blood chilled as he made the connection.

_ “Is the transmission ready to be sent?” _

_ “At your request, My Lord.” _

Luke’s eyes dropped to the third disc as he recalled the exchange between Vader and Admiral Piett before the Alliance attack. _They had sent the recordings to the Alliance_ which meant… Well, Luke didn’t really want to know what it meant, but he had a feeling that the third disc held the answers.

He reached out to pick up the different coloured disc but his hand wavered above it as a wave of apprehension rolled through his stomach. What if the Alliance thought he was dead? What if _Leia_ thought he was dead? Well, he supposed, that would be easy enough to disprove if he ever managed to get out of here. But that second recording… the one where he had leaked all of that important intel…

Luke gritted his teeth and picked up the disc, sliding it into the holoprojector after removing the previous one. Better to get it over with quickly he supposed.

The holo flickered to life and Luke wiped his clammy palms on his pants as he waited anxiously for the disc to load. Soon enough a connecting symbol appeared, rotating silently in the middle of the projection. Luke gazed absently at it for a second before he recognised it. It was the symbol you usually saw when connecting to the holonet. He frowned and brushed at his hair again as he tried to figure out what on the holonet might be so important.

Then he saw the digits below the connecting symbol and he felt like turning the device off. It was connecting him to an Alliance channel - and a secure one at that! _How was Vader getting this information?_ Luke felt sick at the thought. Maybe the Empire knew more about the Alliance than they let on. He had never really considered it before, but he supposed it made sense. A lot of sense, actually. After all, you’re always one step ahead if the enemy thinks you’re one step behind.

Luke took a deep breath as the connecting symbol disappeared and a range of what appeared to be holonet articles manifested on the projection in front of him. The projection was only small but the headlines of the articles stood out nonetheless. And they made him feel sick.

_ Luke Skywalker: Hero Turned Traitor _

_ The Death of a ‘Hero’ _

_ Alliance Suffering Major Blow: Skywalker An Imperial Agent _

_ Luke Skywalker: Hero or Traitor? Dead Either Way _

Luke blinked a couple of times, scanning the slanderous headlines. His mind felt numb as he skimmed over their bold outlines, the words hardly making sense but then acting like vibroblades at the same time, so sharp and deadly, piercing straight through his heart. It was unusual for the Alliance channel to be so overrun by the media, but then again, their supposed hero had just betrayed them. And it wasn’t just a blow for the Alliance; it was a blow for the entire galaxy. Millions of Alliance supporters knew his name, knew what he had done during the Battle of Yavin… and now they thought he was a traitor. Luke gave a shaky laugh. No, he decided. It wasn’t unusual for this type of reaction at all. He should have expected it…

Then his eyes slipped to a particularly hurtful headline.

_ Condemned by the Leaders of the Alliance: The Inside Report of Luke Skywalker’s Betrayal _

Below that particular headline was a picture of Leia.

The holoprojector slipped from his hands. There was a ringing in his ears as he watched the blue projection flicker and die as the projector clattered to the floor. He could hear his pulse echoing through his mind, throbbing loudly just behind his ears.

The galaxy hated him. His _friends_ hated him. And there was definitely no way the Alliance would welcome him back now. Even if he _did_ manage to escape they’d probably just shoot him dead onsite....

Luke looked up at the door of his cell with a fire in his eyes.

_ It was all Vader’s fault. _

The door started to twist, causing an ear-piercing screeching of metal on metal to echo throughout the cell.

_ This was all Vader’s doing. _

And the next thing he knew, he was flying out the door and down the cellblock hallway, leaving behind an awfully twisted and deformed cell door and two unmoving stormtroopers crumpled at the base of the wall.

 

.

.

.

 

Leia rubbed her forehead as she ambled down the hallway. She had woken with an incredible headache - no doubt from crying herself to sleep - and the pain meds she had taken were only just starting to kick in.

She stepped to the side as two young officers passed her by, carrying an extremely heavy looking metal box between them. She watched them round a corner and then continued on her way to find Skyro. She hadn’t seen the captain since he had left her chambers last night to face the consequences for his insubordination. He had promised to drop by in the morning, although Leia hadn’t felt like waiting for him. Right now what she needed was a distraction and wandering the halls of Home One seemed like a better option than any.

Leia passed a corridor but doubled back as someone called her name.

“Enzo!” she exclaimed as she rounded the corner to find the young tech hurrying her way.

“Your Highness,” he said, bowing his head slightly as he came to a stop in front of her. “I’m deeply sorry for your loss.”

Leia nodded softly. “Thank you, Enzo,” she replied quietly. Then a thought occurred to her. “You haven’t seen Skyro this morning, have you?”

The tech looked thoughtful for a moment, then shook his head. “I’m afraid I haven’t. I’ll let you know if I see him, though.”

“That would be greatly appreciated,” Leia responded with a smile. Then, remembering that the tech had called for her, she continued, “You wanted to tell me something?”

“Yes,” Enzo replied, his face turning grim. “Come with me.”

Leia felt sufficiently confused - and concerned - at the tech’s abrupt change in manner, but followed him nonetheless.

“What’s wrong?” she asked as they quickly made their way down the corridor and around a corner to Enzo’s main work room.

Enzo sighed and didn’t meet her gaze as they stepped into the small room. The door slid shut behind them and Leia turned to face him expectantly. She raised her eyebrows and Enzo took a deep breath.

“It seems,” he began slowly, “that someone leaked the, uh… transmissions of Commander Skywalker.”

Leia frowned, a sickening feeling developing in her gut. “What do you mean _leaked_?”

Enzo brought his gaze up to hers. “They, uh…” He closed his eyes a took a deep breath before continuing. “They leaked it to the public.”

Leia’s eyebrows shot skyward as Enzo continued, more hurried this time.

“I tried to stop it,” he said earnestly, his eyes pleading. “I tried my best. But I don’t have the proper clearance to access those files or prevent them from being sent. By the time I got in contact with High Command it was too late. Whoever did it was good… I couldn’t even catch their ID.”

Leia’s ears were ringing as she stared at Enzo in shock. If the recordings had been leaked to the public…

She spun around and started keying in the code for the Alliance holonet channel on Enzo’s computer.

“I, uh. I wouldn’t do that if I were you, Your Highness,” Enzo cautioned nervously, but he trailed off as the holonet projection flickered to life in front of them.

Leia’s eyes widened as she skimmed the various headlines of the holonet articles.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t stop the recordings from being leaked, Your Highness,” Enzo muttered quietly. “I just don’t have the clearance to do that sort of thing.”

“It’s okay, Enzo,” she replied calmly - a little too calmly, perhaps - as she opened a particularly harsh looking article. “It’s not your fault. You couldn’t have been expected to stop this all by yourself. It’s not your job. The person to blame is the one who decided to leak it in the first place.”

“And I think I know just who it is…” she murmured as her eyes came to rest on a picture of a certain Corellian Commander with a smug grin on his face.

Leia closed the holonet page with a sharp tap and stormed out of the room, not even bothering to explain herself to Enzo as she left.

Oh, Lears was going to _pay_ for this.

 

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.

 

Luke fired blindly at the stormtroopers making their way towards him, uncontrollable rage painting his vision red. He didn’t know when - or how - he had acquired a blaster but he was making good use of it.

The stormtroopers fell to the floor one by one as numerous laser bolts hit them in the chest.

Luke stormed past their smoking, motionless bodies without blinking an eye.

_ This was all Vader’s fault. _

Luke ducked as a laser blast sizzled just past his ear. He spun low into a crouch and fired twice in the direction that the shot had come from. A muffled scream indicated that he had hit his target.

Luke almost smirked as he got up and continued to move through the halls of the Executor - _almost_.

And soon enough a very familiar set of grey sliding doors came into view. The guards at the door didn’t even see him coming - they fell in an instant, smoke curling upwards from the charred holes in their sternums.

Luke threw his blaster to the side as he approached the doors, extending both his hands towards them and focusing all of his energy on tearing them open.

A loud screeching sound echoed throughout the corridor as the doors were forced open against their locks. One final push sent them screaming back into their recesses and Luke stormed forward, panting heavily.

He extended his hand behind him and called his blaster to his grip, lifting it quickly to aim at the tall, black figure in front of him.

He fired.

 

.

.

.

 

Leia flew through the doors as soon as they opened and launched herself straight at Lears.

"Out!" she yelled at the other people in the room, pointing roughly to the door. They scampered away without a backward glance as the fuming princess rounded on the former commander.

"Do you realise what you've done, Lears?" she growled as she stepped close to him.

"I haven't done anything -"

"Shut it!" she snapped. "Who else would have leaked the recordings? Who else would have been so _stupid_ enough as to give the media secure Alliance intel just to make themselves look better, huh? I know it was you. No one else here is as opposed to the Jedi as you are, Lears."

"You'd be surprised," Lears commented drily, but quickly shut his mouth as Leia glared at him.

"Look, I don't care what your issue with Luke is -"

" _Was_ ," he corrected.

Leia didn't hold herself back this time. She slapped him full across the face, a sharp crack echoing around the room as her hand made contact.

Lears stumbled backwards a couple of steps clutching the side of his face. He looked at her, shocked.

She raised her eyebrows at him, daring him to provoke her again.

"Watch it, princess," he hissed quietly. "You'll find yourself dismissed if you keep acting this way."

"Well, considering the operation against the Empire is over," she replied coolly, "it seems I am no longer in danger of being suspended."

"If that is the case, then I trust that my command will be reinstated?" Lears asked, massaging the red handprint on his jaw.

"Hardly," Leia replied, gaze narrowed. "If anything, Lears, you’ll be discharged from the Alliance - and I can guarantee you that it won’t be an honourable one.”

“For the last time, princess,” he groaned with a roll of his eyes. “ I didn’t do anything. I don’t have the clearance to access those files anymore anyway.”

Leia was about to argue but stopped short as she processed Lear’s words. He didn’t have the clearance… _He didn’t have the clearance_ because he had been dismissed and consequently stripped of the privileges of command, including access to all of the Alliance’s secure files. That meant he couldn’t have leaked the recordings...

“You could have hacked the system,” she suggested, although that didn’t seem likely. Lears was a commander; he didn’t have the proper skills for such an operation.

Lears raised his eyebrows with skepticism. “You know I couldn’t have done that.”

“Then who did?” she asked roughly, not backing down.

“I told you, there are plenty of other people aboard this ship who have no love for the Jedi.”

“Then _who_?” she grit out again. Lears had a smug smile on his face that suggested he knew more about this than he was telling her.

He raised his eyebrows and shrugged. “You wouldn’t believe me.”

“Why? Because you can’t be trusted?” Leia asked, an eyebrow quirked. “Believe me, Lears, I can make my own decisions about whether or not a piece of information is true, no matter where it comes from.”

“No, because you have too much faith in them,” Lears snapped.

Leia glared at him. “I hardly think Commander Skywalker is capable of leaking information given his current state,” she growled venomously.

“I’m not talking about Commander Skywalker.” Lears rolled his eyes. “Like you said - he’s dead.”

“Well, even _if_ someone else leaked the footage, Lears,” Leia continued, “you still have to answer for the information that you gave to the media.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“The holonet article,” Leia answered shortly. “‘Condemned by the Leaders of the Alliance: The Inside Report of Luke Skywalker’s Betrayal’. You were a prime witness in that article. There was even a picture.”

Lears paused, his look calculating as he held her fiery stare.

“It always comes back to me, doesn’t it?” he asked, eyes narrowed.

“Yes, I suppose it does,” Leia agreed. “Kind of like the way the security leak always came back to Commander Skywalker.”

“Oh, but I was right, wasn’t I, princess?” he said with a smirk. “That makes you angry, doesn’t it?.”

Leia took a step towards him, her glare hard. “You were hardly right, Lears,” she growled. “There is no proof whatsoever that indicates that Luke was the security leak.”

Lears shrugged. “Ah, well, at least he got what he deserved.”

“And you’re about to get what _you_ deserve,” Leia hissed as she stepped forward to swing a punch at the Corellian’s face - although her fist never connected.

“Let me go!” Leia growled at the person who had suddenly appeared and caught her arm in a tight, restraining grip.

“Leia, calm down. He isn’t worth your time, trust me,” Skyro’s earnest voice rang through her rage-filled mind, calming it a little and bringing it peace.

Leia struggled against the captain’s strong grip, eager to punch Lears in the face again. Oh, how he deserved it. First he accused Luke of being a traitor and then he gave classified intel to the media. Leia was furious - and not just because of all the reports proclaiming Luke to be a traitor. Yes, those were hurtful and harsh, but there was more to it than that. The Alliance was a source of hope for the galaxy - a source of strength. And now their hero was dead, supposedly a traitor and everyone knew about it. It made them look weak, vulnerable - unstable even. The position of strength that they once held in the galaxy had been diminished - and all because of some stupid media reports.

Leia glared at Lears, glared at his irksome face, his gloating smirk and she finally managed to pull herself free of Skyro’s grip.

But she didn’t launch herself at Lears again. Instead, she took a step back and straightened her jacket, giving the former commander a wicked smirk in return. Because Skyro hadn’t been the only person to enter the room unannounced. Leia shot a sidewards glance and a nod at Mon Mothma, indicating that she had herself under control.

Lears followed her gaze and his smirk dropped from his face in an instant.

“You have gone too far this time, Lears,” said the Rebel leader. “I have been informed of your traitorous act against the Alliance in willingly releasing secure intel to the media. Henceforth, you are no longer apart of the Alliance. I suggest you take your leave now.”

Lears breathed out heavily and straightened his jacket. He inclined his head slightly to Mon Mothma, before turning to face Leia once more.

“You need to stop focusing on your enemies, Your Highness,” he said quietly as he began to make his way to the door, “and instead start focusing on the people around you. You might find that some of them aren’t all they appear to be.”

His gaze flickered to Skyro before he finally turned and left the room.

Leia put her hand to her forehead as the doors slid shut and massaged her temples. Her headache had returned tenfold now that she had lost the adrenaline of the argument and she was beginning to feel incredibly tired.

She looked up as she felt a light touch on her arm. Mon Mothma gave her a small, comforting smile and then pulled her into a hug.

Leia closed her eyes and breathed in deeply. She wasn’t going to cry. She had promised herself that -  no more crying because of Vader. Instead, she pulled away and looked into Mon Mothma’s eyes.

“Just promise me that you’ll get those articles off of the holonet,” she whispered pleadingly.

“We’ll do our best,” Mothma responded quietly with a nod of her head.

“Thank you.”

And with that Leia left the room.

 

.

.

.

 

Luke fired repeatedly, pulling the trigger again and again and again, sending countless laser blasts at the monster in front of him. Sparks shot out from Vader’s direction, but Luke knew that none of his shots had hit their target - the Sith was blocking them.

Luke growled and dropped his blaster, now turning his attention to the desk at his side. The Force flowed easily through him as he reached towards it and caught it in the energy field he was controlling. The desk lifted off of the ground and in an instant it was flying towards Vader, spinning dangerously.

There was a sharp _snap-hiss_ and the next thing Luke knew, the desk was lying at Vader’s feet, smoking lightly from the place where it had been cut in two by the Sith’s laser sword. Luke panted heavily as he scanned the room for another projectile to launch at his father.

That cabinet on the far wall looked good.

Luke reached out and gripped it with the Force.

“Your anger has made you powerful, young one.” Vader’s deep rumbling tones filled the room.

Luke’s gaze flickered to his father, but only for a second. The next, his attention was caught by the cabinet being hurled through the air - only, it wasn’t moving towards Vader, it was moving towards _him_.

Luke ducked and rolled to the side, narrowly missing the metal projectile as it flew past him and out into the corridor beyond. Luke brought himself up into a crouch, sending a fiery glare Vader’s way.

“Do you deny it?” Vader questioned.

Luke remained still as he caught his breath, his gaze never leaving his father’s mask. He blinked a couple of times and his rage-red vision slipped for a moment. His breath hitched - _what was he doing?_ He shook his head. No. This was right. Vader needed to pay for what he’d done.

The red came back in an instant and he reached for the blaster lying a few metres away from him on the floor. But before he could catch it in his Force grip, the weapon spun through the air to land in Vader’s open hand. Luke froze as the barrel of the blaster was pointed his way.

“Are you going to kill me, father?” he asked. “For real this time?”

“You know that is not my goal, Luke,” Vader responded, not lowering the blaster even an inch.

“And you know that I will not turn,” Luke quipped back.

“Are you sure about that?”

Luke narrowed his eyes at his father. Not wanting to continue with the current topic, he asked, “Why did you do it?”

“Fake the footage?” Vader queried.

“What else?” Luke hissed, his anger simmering just below the surface.

“Your destiny lies with me, Skywalker,” Vader rumbled. “You can have no ties to the Alliance if you are to fulfil your destiny.”

“So you labelled me a traitor and had me killed?” Luke yelled with anguish, bounding to his feet. “There could have been other ways to achieve your goal.”

“But none more effective,” Vader replied, tracking Luke’s movements with the blaster. “Look at the power you have unlocked, Luke. You are stronger now. The Dark Side is with you.”

“How did you get the Alliance intel - the list of Rebel bases?” Luke growled, again avoiding the subject.

“I have many spies aboard Home One,” Vader replied simply, his cyclical breath echoing throughout the room. “They gave me the intel.”

“And then you used it to frame me as a traitor,” Luke hissed as he scanned the room for some sort of weapon or object that he could use to his advantage.

“You think only of yourself, Luke,” Vader chastised. “There was much more to my releasing the footage than just to label you as a traitor.”

Luke paused in his searchings and turned his full attention to Vader. He narrowed his eyes, not quite believing his father.

“But you do not see that, do you?”

Luke titled his head slightly as he struggled to comprehend.

“Your vanity blinds you.”

Luke clenched his jaw at the insult but did not retaliate. Instead, he stood still, fists clenched as his father continued.

“The footage laid seeds of doubt - both in you, and in the Alliance,” Vader explained. “And it will result in their downfall. They will either tear themselves apart from the inside, or they’ll be brought down by the rest of the galaxy. They are weak and vulnerable. After all, their supposed hero is dead. What hope do they have left now? Who do they have to protect them?”

“But it’s not true,” Luke grit out, anger rising again.

“But they believe it,” Vader shot back. “You’ve seen the reports, Luke. They took to your betrayal without a backward glance. You mean nothing to them, my son. You _meant_ nothing to them. It’s time that you embrace that and accept your destiny for what it is.”

“No.” Luke shook his head with determination. “I will not join you. I will not follow your path to the Dark Side.”

“You are travelling that path already, my son,” Vader said, lowering the blaster ever so slightly. “Look at what you’ve done today.”

Luke blinked and took a step back as vivid images flashed to the front of his mind. The metal door of his cell, twisting and curling in front of him. The two stormtrooper guards flying backwards into the wall, colliding with sickening cracks and then falling to the floor, unmoving. The blaster flying out of a stormtroopers hands and into his own. Pulling the trigger and firing over and over. The smoking, motionless bodies at his feet as he walked past without a backward glance…

Luke gasped and stumbled back into the wall, his vision now cleared of the redness. He looked at Vader in horror, heart beating wildly in his chest.

“What have you done?” he asked weakly.

“I have exposed your full potential, Luke,” Vader rumbled, his words echoing throughout the room and throughout Luke’s mind.

Luke clutched at his head. “No,” he whispered, trying desperately to erase the images of earlier. He couldn’t have done that. He couldn’t have killed all those people...

“Luke, this is your destiny,” Vader continued, extending his hand out exactly the way he had done on Bespin. “Join me and together we will restore peace to the galaxy. We will overthrow the Emperor and rule side by side as father and son.”

Luke pushed himself back against the wall, hoping that somehow it might just swallow him whole and stop him from having to face this mess.

“I will complete your training - extend your knowledge,” Vader rumbled. “You will become the most powerful Jedi ever. Only then will you be able to fulfil your destiny and bring freedom to the galaxy. Search your feelings, Luke, you know this to be true.”

Luke stared in silent horror at Vader, hardly taking in a word his father said. His mind was too numb to function. He was a killer. A murderer. He had let his defences drop and the Dark Side had consumed him, taken him over and given him strength. And he had welcomed it, embraced it… _enjoyed it_.

Luke looked at his father, his eyes wide and pleading. “Kill me,” he whispered, his voice trembling.

“What?” Vader replied, lowering the blaster even more this time.

“Kill me, please, father,” Luke begged, shaking his head violently and blinking back the tears that were threatening to break loose. “I don’t want to be like this. I don’t want to be consumed by the Dark Side. Please, father. I beg you. Kill me and end this.”

“I will not kill you, Luke,” Vader responded, and, as if to prove his point, he let the blaster fall from his grip.

Luke watched as it fell to the ground and landed at the Sith Lord’s feet. His eyes lingered on it as Vader continued.

“This is your path, my son. Take it. Embrace it. _It is your destiny_.”

Luke pushed himself away from the wall and took a shaky step towards Vader, his eyes never leaving the fallen blaster.

“I’ll never turn to the Dark Side,” he whispered as he extended his hand and called the blaster to his grip. He pointed the weapon at his father once more and raised his chin in defiance. His vision blurred with tears and his voice trembled violently as he continued, “And if you won’t kill me…” He closed his eyes and took a steadying breath, and when he opened them again they were full of fiery determination.

The barrel of the blaster was at his temple in an instant.

“Then I’ll do it myself.”

“Luke!”

There was a flutter in the Force but Luke ignored it. He gave his father a small smile.

And pulled the trigger.

 

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.

.

 

Curls of smoke drifted upwards, spiralling towards the constellations above. Glittering tendrils of starlight danced in the wind, merging and mixing with the smoke as it made its way towards the heavens.

The tendrils curled and twisted, wrapping themselves around a body and holding it in place as it shook violently. The screams echoed and multiplied, becoming almost too overwhelming to bear. But then they stopped. And the silence was almost worse than the screams...

Then the dazzling tendrils retreated and the body slipped out of its restraints like a ragdoll, falling slowly into the abyss below. The darkness enveloped it, smothered it and called it its own.

Then a shot rang out and a scream followed.

Pain.

Pain everywhere.

A deep breath. Victory.

She couldn’t breathe. _He_ couldn’t breathe.

_ Luke. _

He was in pain. He was dying. He wouldn’t make it.

The darkness curled around him, twisting and warping his pale features. She could see him but couldn’t touch him. She reached out and called his name, but she had no voice. She was powerless.

Then a cold chill spread through her and she clutched at her waist, trying to retain any heat that she could.

And then she saw it.

A tendril, like the brilliant ropes of starlight that had held Luke like a puppet… only this one was different. It was fierce, fiery. It glimmered red against the darkness and it moved like nothing else she had ever seen.

The red tendril slithered towards Luke and began weaving itself around him.

“No!” she called out. “You’ll kill him!”

But the tendril continued. It looped itself around Luke’s forehead, around his chest and around his arms, slowly making its way over his body. And, soon enough, it had fully encased him.

She stared at it in horror, her mind ringing in the dull silence.

He was gone… Luke was _gone_ …

But then the redness started to disappear, drifting slowly back into the darkness from whence it came. And as the red tendrils retreated, she noticed that Luke’s features held more colour than before, although he was still shrouded in darkness. And his chest was rising and falling slowly...

He was _alive_.

“Luke,” she whispered.

His brow creased slightly as he heard her words, although he didn’t open his eyes.

“Leia?” he responded, reaching out a hand in her direction.

“Yes, Luke,” she whispered, happy tears glittering in her eyes. “It’s me. I’m here. You’re safe.”

“Safe…” Luke murmured.

“Yes, Luke. You’re safe. Look at me and you’ll know you’re safe.”

“Safe…” he repeated, as if he couldn’t quite grasp the meaning of the word. His brow creased again but this time he seemed to realise what was going on.

“ _Leia_ ,” he whispered.

He opened his eyes.

And she screamed.

Leia jolted awake, panting heavily. She pushed the covers back and sat up, swinging her legs over the side of the bed. She was covered in cold sweat and her pulse was throbbing loudly just behind her ears.

She buried her face in her hands and tried to grasp onto the threads of the nightmare. But it was just slipping too fast.

All she could remember was darkness… darkness and a slithering tendril of red...

Leia breathed in deeply, mentally shaking herself.

_ It was only a dream. _

But as she slipped back under the covers, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong.


	7. Chapter 7

Leia bolted awake with a gasp. Cold chills ricocheted down her spine as she pushed her sweat-dampened hair out of her face. Her breathing was heavy as she forced herself out of bed and over to the closet. Quickly rifling through her clothes, she soon found a large jacket and slipped it on over her sleepwear. She zipped the jacket up, slipped on some boots and was out the door in a matter of minutes.

Leia tried to steady her breathing as she speedwalked through the corridors of Home One, her mind still reeling from the nightmare. She pushed her hair out of her face again as she rounded the corner that led to the mess hall. The doors slid open with a faint whoosh and she entered, making her way directly to a table in the far corner. She slid into the seat facing the viewport and buried her face in her hands, taking deep, steadying breaths to calm herself down.

After a number of minutes she had composed herself enough to pull her head out of her hands and start pulling her messy hair into a loose braid. Her hands trembled violently as she twisted the strands together but she didn’t care. She just needed to do something - _anything_ just to keep her mind off of the nightmare, off of those _eyes_....

Leia mentally cursed herself and snapped her attention back to her braiding. Her fingers were still trembling as she tied the braid off and slipped a small elastic around the end to keep it in place. But now that that was done she didn’t know what to do.

She scanned the room quickly, hoping to find someone to talk to - Skyro, perhaps. But it was far too early for most people to be up. Only a few officers were situated around the room either eating breakfast or poring over datapads. Leia sighed and switched her attention to the viewport opposite her and the stars outside, trying desperately to distract her mind by attempting to figure out exactly where they were.

It had been two weeks since the transmissions had been released to the public, two weeks since Luke’s death at the hand of Vader - and they had been on the run ever since. The transmissions had revealed that the Empire knew their location and the only way that was possible was if there were spies aboard Home One. Granted, that wasn’t new knowledge - the Arka III debacle had made it very clear that the Alliance had a dangerous security leak on their hands. Even still, it was best to take precautions, especially with the amount of media attention that they had been receiving lately. Their operations and locations weren’t meant to be public knowledge. After all, having the entire galaxy know where you were didn’t exactly make it easy to evade the Empire. And that was exactly what they needed to do right now. They needed to lie low for awhile; they needed to disappear from everyone’s radar and they especially needed to prevent the spies from leaking intel to the Imperials. They also needed time to come up with some new potential bases, considering their entire list of previous ones had been acquired by the Empire.

So, in an effort to solve their difficult situation, the Alliance had taken to compartmentalisation. Basically, that meant that no one was told anything unless they specifically needed the information to complete an important task - and that left a lot of people out of the loop, Leia included. Most of the secure intel, such as the new potential base locations, were being controlled and monitored by Mon Mothma. Leia had been allowed to make a few suggestions as to the locations, but ultimately she wouldn’t find out the final selections until absolutely necessary. Admiral Ackbar on the other hand, was handling the constant movements of the fleet. In an effort to prevent their location from being leaked to the Imperials they had taken to making the jump to lightspeed multiple times per day. That meant a new set of coordinates every couple of hours - and no one knew exactly where they were except for Ackbar. They had even managed to somehow disable all locator devices on the ship, which meant that absolutely no one would be able to determine their location.

Leia stared out at the vast sea of stars. There were no planets to be seen here. That was another one of the procedures that had been put into place - they were never allowed within a parsec of any habitable systems. It made all the travelling quite boring considering you never got to see anything other than endless stars or the blue swirls of hyperspace, but Leia understood that it was necessary. They had taken heavy losses during the battle over Endor and they couldn’t afford another face off with the Empire any time soon.

Leia gazed out at the stars and smiled. Luke would have loved this - trying to figure out exactly where they were in the galaxy. He had picked up such an incredible knowledge of the various systems during his time with the Alliance. She had always loved hearing him talk about the wonders of space as he had always been so enthusiastic about it. She had never really shared that enthusiasm, although she supposed that that was just due to her upbringing. Space travel had been something she had done frequently throughout her life, whereas Luke had spent most of his years confined to the sandy deserts of Tatooine.

She sighed and looked down at her hands which were no longer shaking. She missed Luke terribly. He was always so happy, so full of life and excitement. And he always knew just the right thing to say to cheer her up. Leia sometimes thought that they had had a connection. She couldn’t explain it, but somehow Luke had always known exactly how she was feeling. Perhaps it was just because of his Jedi powers, but she couldn’t help but feel that it was something much stronger than that, something much more basic. But whatever it was, it was gone now. And she missed it terribly. She needed Luke. She needed his strength.

Because her dreams were driving her insane.

Leia’s breath hitched as her thoughts returned to the nightmare that had driven her here. Ever since Luke’s death her dreams had become more vivid, more terrifying. Most nights she was afraid to go to sleep because she knew that something horrible would be waiting for her.

The dreams were always the same, and she could never remember anything about them except for two things - darkness and a slithering tendril of red. Only this morning’s dream had been different. She had remembered something else. She had remembered the _eyes_ \- feral yellow orbs filled with nothing but evil and malice.

But that wasn’t the only thing new. This morning’s dream had left her with a feeling. A feeling that she was missing something important. Something in the dream, perhaps - something that she couldn’t quite reach.

She shook her head as she tried to concentrate. As much as she hated dwelling on the nightmares, the feeling at the back of her mind was too strong ignore. There was something important in the dreams. Something she needed to know. Someone she needed to recognise…

_Someone_ …

But as hard as she tried, she just couldn’t remember.

Leia growled in frustration and looked out to the stars, glaring at their glittering forms as if they were the reason she couldn’t remember.

Something important…

Someone…

_Who?_

 

.

.

.

 

_Leia!_

Luke opened his eyes wide. And instantly regretted it.

He groaned in pain at the sharp sensation that had just pierced through his mind. Actually, his whole body felt like it was on fire. He tried to sit up but it was just too painful. So instead he settled on just lying still and trying not to move.

And that was when he realised he couldn't see.

His heart rate picked up instantly and he suddenly felt very nervous. Where was he? What was going on? All he could see was a dark red blur. He blinked a couple of times but it wouldn't go away.

He squirmed, testing for restraints - only, there were none. He frowned and shifted his body again. He seemed to be on some sort of table, although that couldn't be right because it was much too soft to be a table... A bed perhaps?

He attempted to sit up again but his head spun dangerously and he fell back against the pillow, groaning in pain. He put a hand to his forehead and that was when he realised that there was something covering his eyes. He ran his hand along the rough material. It felt like a bandage. _What was going on?_

He went to pull the bandage off but strong arms gripped him before he could.

"Woah, woah, woah. I'd prefer it if you left that on for a little while longer."

Luke froze at the sound of the unfamiliar voice.

"It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you," the man said. His voice was soft, calming. "I'll let you go if you promise to leave the bandage on for a bit longer."

Luke hesitated for a moment but then nodded quietly and the restraining grip on his wrists fell away. He let his hands fall to his sides where they landed on a light, not quite soft fabric. Luke skimmed his hands over the surface of the material, the sensation sending chills down his spine. But he stopped as soon as his head started throbbing with a deep, uncomfortable pain.

"Where am I?" he asked croakily, his throat unusually dry.

"You're in the med bay," responded the man. “I need to run a few tests now that you’re awake. It’ll be a moment before I can give you any painkillers, so I suggest you lie still for the time being.”

“Yeah,” Luke replied, scrunching his eyes shut as the pain in his head seemed to amplify. “I think I got that figured out.”

He flinched as something cold touched his forehead.

“It’s okay,” the medic said quietly. “I’m just running some tests.”

Luke gave a short nod, not wanting to make his headache any worse.

“You’re lucky to be alive, you know.”

Luke frowned at the man’s words. “What do you mean?” he asked.

The man seemed to pause a moment before responding, “Do you remember what happened?”

What happened... What _happened_? Luke’s brow creased as he tried to remember, but all he could find in his mind was darkness… but wait…

Luke’s blood went cold as the memories came flooding back. The escape from the cell. The fight with Vader...

_The barrel of the blaster at his temple._

He should be dead…

_Why wasn’t he dead?_

Luke’s mind flared in sudden anger at the realisation that his suicide attempt had failed. Somehow he had lived on. Somehow he had survived. He curled his hands into fists, scrunching the fabric of the sheets as hard as he could between his fingers. He could feel the Force flowing around him, through him, stronger than ever before. It was almost as if his connection to the energy field had been reinforced somehow, like armoured plating, stronger and more resistant… more _powerful_.

Luke gasped as his head spun violently and he let go of his momentary connection to the Force. He groaned in pain as his headache reached levels he hadn’t thought possible. He took a deep breath and tried to quell the pain with the Force, but his mind was still spinning dangerously.

And then it was suddenly clear.

Luke shifted uncomfortably as he tried to adjust to the sudden loss of pain. He gripped the sheets in his hands and took a deep breath. He exhaled shakily.

“Is that better?” the medic asked and Luke realised that the loss of his headache had been triggered by the administration of the painkillers.

He nodded in response although he wasn’t sure if it actually felt better or not. To be honest, it was weird not having any pain in his body. He had become so accustomed to it during the torture sessions that he had believed it to be normal. And he felt oddly uncomfortable now that it was gone.

“I’m going to take the bandage off now,” the man informed him.

Luke nodded once and then closed his eyes as the man began slowly cutting through the bandage. He could hear the rough snips of the scissors by his left ear as they cut through the coarse material.

“I remember what happened,” he whispered quietly. _I remember I’m a monster… and I deserve to be dead_ , he added quietly in his mind, although he was no longer angry at his failure to kill himself. He didn’t know what he felt anymore. Nervous, perhaps, at the fact that he had defied death and lived on to ultimately see the destruction of everything he loved - the destruction of the Alliance, the destruction of his friends. Their certain doom was all his fault.

All _his_ fault.

Not Vader’s.

“Then you’ll know that you’re lucky to be alive,” commented the man as he began removing the bandages.

Luke closed his eyes as bright white light flooded his vision.

“No matter what people say about them, stun blasts are not to be taken lightly,” the medic said, moving away from Luke’s side to dispose of the bandages. “Especially to the temple at point-blank range. You should be dead.”

Luke frowned at the medic’s words. “ _Stun_ blast?” he asked sharply, squinting as his eyes tried to adjust to the bright light.

“Yes,” the man replied as he returned to Luke’s bedside and Luke could just make out the slight frown on the man’s face as he continued, “If it had been a proper laser blast… Well, there wouldn’t be anything left for me to bandage.”

Luke blinked a couple of times, his brow creased heavily as he tried to think back to the fight with Vader. The last he had known, the weapon had been set to kill...

“But it was…” he began. Then he realised.

There had been a slight tremor in the Force right before he had pulled the trigger. Luke narrowed his eyes.

Vader.

Vader had set the blaster to stun.

The anger rose within him again. Couldn’t his father just let him go? Let him die as himself and not as some bloodthirsty monster, corrupted and tainted by the Dark Side? Luke clenched his fists again, nerves rising in his stomach, making him feel ill. He didn’t want to go down his father’s path. He had a good life… He had friends who cared about him…

_Friends who will soon be dead because of you_ , hissed a voice inside his head.

_No!_ he cried back. _It’s not my fault! It’s Vader’s! He framed me. I never gave the Imperials anything!_

_But none of this would have happened if you hadn’t be so naive enough as to believe that your father was capable of being saved_ , the voice taunted. _You underestimated the power of the Dark Side. And you will fall. Just like your father. And all of your friends will die._

_No_ , Luke thought back. _I’m stronger than that. I won’t go down the Dark path!_

_It is your destiny_ , the voice hissed.

“No,” Luke whispered, his voice cracking slightly.

“Sorry?” the medic asked, giving Luke a confused look.

Luke glanced at him in surprise. He had completely forgotten that the medic was there. “Uh… nothing,” he replied hastily, shifting himself upright into a sitting position.

“Okay,” replied the medic with a not quite convinced look. The man then turned to pick something up off the desk nearby. “The bacta healed you quite well although I’m afraid you’ll still have a small scar.”

The medic handed him the object he had picked up and Luke took it with a slight acknowledging nod. It was a mirror. Luke glanced at the medic quickly before lifting the mirror up in front of his face. Luke blinked a couple of times as he took in his reflection.

He was awfully pale and he had deep circles under his eyes. The contrast made his brilliant blue eyes look almost unnatural. His sandy locks were an absolute mess and fell haphazardly in front of his face to hang just below his eyebrows. Luke pushed his bangs back and turned his face slightly to examine his right temple - the place where he had shot himself with the blaster. He ran his fingers over the light scar tissue. Like the medic had said, it was hardly noticeable and with his fringe in place you wouldn’t even know it was there. Luke leaned closer to his reflection to examine the scar further. It was circular in shape and consisted mostly of thin lines running outward, almost like rays of light radiating outwards from a sun.

“The energy discharge is what caused the scar,” the medic informed him. “Stun blasts still have the capacity to do damage, especially at such a close range. I feared you might lose vision in your right eye, but luckily that was not the case. And your hearing was also undamaged.” The medic gave him a once over. “It was quite a miracle,” he said. “You should have been dead, yet all you came out with was a scar. And you wouldn’t have even had that if I had been able to treat you sooner, although that was quite beyond my control.”

Luke let his bangs fall back in front of his face and turned to look at the medic, brow creased. “What do you mean?” he asked.

“Well,” said the medic as he took the mirror from Luke and returned it to the table top. “I wasn’t allowed to treat you for the entire first day after the incident. No one was. I mean, we got you hooked up to life support and everything, but it didn’t look like you were going to make it. Then Lord Vader ordered us out of the room and posted guards on the door. No one was allowed to enter.”

Luke looked at the medic in confusion, not entirely understanding.

The medic handed him a small cup of water and continued, “Lord Vader spent the entire day with you. I don’t know what he was doing in that time, but whatever it was… it saved your life.”  

Luke paused with the cup halfway to his mouth as the medic’s words sunk in.

Vader had saved his life…

“Your vitals were back to normal after he left, although you were still unconscious,” the medic continued. “You remained that way for two weeks… and well, here you are now.”

Two weeks…

Luke would have been shocked at that revelation if he hadn’t been so caught up in the medic’s previous words.

Vader had _saved his life_.

“Speaking of Lord Vader, I must inform him that you are awake. Please excuse me.”

Luke nodded absently as the medic turned and left the room, leaving Luke all alone. He placed the cup of water on the table next to him, no longer thirsty.

Vader had saved _him_ …

The medic hadn’t understood how Vader had done it, but Luke did. His father had used the Force to heal him. He had spent an _entire day_ doing so.

Luke fiddled absently with his sheets as he thought back to the argument he had had with the voice in his head. The voice had told him that his father couldn’t be saved and that he was naive in thinking so. But Vader had _saved him_. His _father_ had saved him...

There was still good in him. Luke knew that.

And only he could bring that goodness back to the surface.

 

.

.

.

 

The echoes of a respirator hissed through the cold night air, coming from everywhere and nowhere at the same time. Leia bolted through the forest, leaping over a fallen log and sprinting as fast as she could to get away from the eyes. Those vicious yellow eyes filled with fire and malice.

She was finding it hard to breathe now, but she pushed on. She couldn’t let the eyes catch her. They would destroy her, tear her to shreds and leave her to die alone in the darkness. She shot a glance behind her.

And the next thing she knew she was tumbling forward over a fallen tree and skidding painfully to a stop on the leaf littered ground. Leia groaned in pain as she tried to stand up, but her knee was throbbing excruciatingly and gave way immediately as she tried to put weight on it. She fell back against the trunk of a tree and reached for her blaster.

But it wasn’t there.

Leia scanned the forest nervously, her heart pounding in her chest. She couldn’t see the eyes anywhere. Perhaps they were gone?

Her hands trembled as she reached up to push some loose strands of hair out of her face. She closed her eyes and took deep heaving breaths as she tried to calm herself.

After a minute or so her breathing had returned to relatively normal.

But that wasn’t the only change.

Leia froze as she realised that the forest had gone silent. Completely and utterly silent. And she had a feeling, like there was some sort of dark presence watching her…

She opened her eyes slowly to look at the person in front of her.

Vader.

He extended his hand towards her, his mechanical breathing echoing throughout the forest.

“Come with me,” he rumbled.

Leia shook her head, her body trembling.

“Come with me,” Vader repeated, his black armour glinting in the dim moonlight. “It is the only way.”

Leia shook her head again, but before she could respond someone stepped out in front of her. Leia started in shock at the sudden appearance of the newcomer. He was dressed in black from head to foot and stood with strong confidence in front of Vader. She couldn’t see his face but there was something familiar about him…

Her eyes skimmed over the man’s body once more and came to a stop on his sandy blond hair…

No… It couldn’t be…

“ _Luke?_ ” she whispered.

He didn’t respond. Instead he took a step towards Vader.

“Luke, what are you doing?” Leia cried, becoming increasingly concerned about the situation.

Luke took another step.

“No, Luke! Don’t do this! He’ll kill you!”

“Your Highness?” came a mysterious voice, echoing throughout the forest. It’s tones were laced with concern, but she ignored them. What was Luke _doing_?

Luke took another step and extended his hand towards Vader’s.

“Your Highness, are you with me?”

Leia snapped her eyes open to see Skyro staring back at her, eyes wide with concern. She looked around at her surroundings in confusion. She was no longer in the forest. Instead, she was back in the mess hall, which was considerably busier now than it had been before. She must have fallen asleep.

Leia blinked a couple of times as the image of Luke and Vader appeared in her mind. She had had a similar dream back on Arka III all those weeks ago, only Luke hadn’t been in that one. She frowned as she thought it over. For the past two weeks she had only dreamt of the darkness and the red tendrils… so why was she now having a different dream? She didn’t know, although she had a strange feeling that something had changed...

“Your Highness?” Skyro asked again. “Are you okay?”

Leia turned back to face him. “Yes, I’m fine,” she responded, rubbing her eyes and doing her best to push the dream to the back of her mind. She would think about it later.

Skyro nodded. She could tell he wasn’t convinced, but this had happened quite enough over the past two weeks for him to know that she didn’t want to talk about her dreams.

Instead, he changed the topic.

“I was just wondering if you wanted to go take the X-Wings for a spin?” he asked, shifting a little on the seat he was sitting on.

Leia only now realised that the young captain was dressed in the orange flightsuit worn by pilots. His green eyes glittered as he looked at her, waiting for an answer. She smiled lightly to herself. Skyro, like Luke and Han, enjoyed flying too much for his own good. And, like everything else it seemed, he was extremely good at it.

Flying had never been one of Leia’s strong points, although she had always enjoyed it a lot. She had done a lot of flying when she was little but had lost the time for it when she had taken up the role of senator at the age of eighteen. Since then she had only ever been escorted everywhere she went and was never allowed to fly the ship herself - although she had helped copilot the Millennium Falcon occasionally. So, after the debacle on Arka III, she had realised that having some decent piloting skills might come in handy, especially since her usual pilots were no longer with her. And she had also needed a distraction to keep her mind off of Luke’s death and the recurring dreams that she had been having for the past two weeks. So, she had gone to Skyro and asked if he would be willing to give her some flying lessons to rekindle her skills. He had been delighted at her request and had agreed immediately.

So, over the past two weeks they had gone out nearly every day for a lesson, and now, thanks to Skyro’s incredible talent, Leia was a much better pilot than she had ever been in her life. And she was enjoying it immensely. But today she just wasn’t feeling up to it - the two dreams had worn her out sufficiently, and it was only early morning.

“I’m sorry, Skyro,” she replied, “but not today.”

Skyro dipped his head in a nod.

“Okay,” he responded, his eyes flickering behind her for a second. Then he sighed and looked back at her. “You know, Your Highness,” he began tentatively, “you shouldn’t keep all of your emotions bottled up. It’s not healthy-”

“I’m fine, Skyro,” she snapped, a little too harshly.

Skyro held up his hands defensively. “Hey, I’m only trying to help,” he replied as he pushed himself away from the table and stood up. He paused for a moment. “I think I’m going to go take an X-Wing out anyway,” he said, looking down at her but avoiding her gaze. “I’ll see you later, I guess.”

He started walking away.

“Skyro,” Leia called. He turned to look at her and she sighed. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to snap at you.”

“It’s okay, Your Highness,” he replied quietly, still not meeting her gaze. “I understand. You’ve been under a lot of pressure lately.”

“But that doesn’t give me the right to get angry at you.”

Skyro shrugged, looking down. “It doesn’t matter. Anyway, I’d better go. We’ll be making the jump to hyperspace again in a couple of hours and I’d like to get as much flying time in as I can.”

Leia nodded softly as Skyro turned away again. She sighed and ran a hand through her hair as she watched him leave the mess hall. The doors closed behind him and she felt thoroughly alone. She closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. The memories of the nightmares lingered at the back of her mind, ready to unleash their fears and emotions the second she called upon them. She wasn’t quite ready to face that yet.

So she opened her eyes and stood up, quickly making her way to the mess hall door and out into the corridor beyond.

“Skyro!” she called as she bounded down the hall. “Wait for me!”

She caught up to the captain as she rounded the corner. He was looking at her with a neutral expression, which she knew was hiding his disappointment at her refusal.

“I’ll come with you,” she said as she came to a halt in front of him.

He studied her for a moment. Then he asked, “Really?” Leia could hear the barely concealed excitement in his voice.

She smiled at him. “Yes.”

He grinned back.

“After all,” Leia continued with a teasing grin. “You’re not allowed out there all by yourself.”

Skyro groaned and rolled his eyes. “Don’t remind me about that.”

Leia smirked as they started down the corridor and towards the hangar bay.

“Hey, it could have been worse,” she replied. And it was true; Skyro could have faced serious repercussions for his insubordination. Instead, he was let off with a warning and a three week grounding on Home One, meaning that he could only leave the ship if he was accompanied by a higher ranking officer. His mental health monitoring had also been extended and he had to report in at least three times a day for the next three weeks. The Alliance had been thankful for his warning about the Death Star, but they were also playing it safe. After all, they had a major security leak on their hands, which meant that they couldn’t afford to trust anyone, even their own officers.

“I would have preferred worse,” he commented, drily. “This is just embarrassing.”

“What? Don’t you like having a babysitter?” Leia commented with a mock pout.

Skyro glared at her.

“Oh, come on,” she teased. “You only have a week left.”

Skyro didn’t respond, but Leia smiled. She could tell he was feeling better now that she had decided to join him. And she was feeling better too.

And as she stepped into the hangar bay, all thoughts of her vivid nightmares escaped her.

 

.

.

.

 

“How are you feeling?”

Luke jumped at the sound of the medic’s voice. He had been deep in thought about the events of the past two weeks and hadn’t noticed the man return.

Luke looked up at him.

“I’m feeling alright,” he responded.

Well, that was a lie. If he was going to be completely honest with himself, he was feeling incredibly conflicted at the moment. He didn’t know what to do. Vader threatened to destroy him, to tear apart the person he was and piece together something new, something monstrous… yet he had _saved_ him. Why? Luke didn’t know. Perhaps it was down to fatherly instincts, although Luke doubted that Vader had any of those. Still, his father had saved his life, which meant that Luke owed him… although after all that Vader had done to him, did he _really?_

Luke sighed. This was all too much and he was incredibly tired.

He lifted the covers a little and shifted so that he was now lying down. He winced slightly as he stretched out his legs. He was still a little sore from the torture even though it had been over two weeks since he had undergone it. The medic seemed to notice his pain.

“Would you like something to help you sleep?” he asked quietly.

Luke nodded. Sleep sounded good right now. At least in the emptiness of unconsciousness he wouldn’t be plagued by troubling thoughts concerning his father.

Luke watched as the medic obtained a syringe and began filling it with a clear liquid.

“Once I’m fully recovered,” he murmured, “what will they do with me?”

The medic turned to face him, giving the syringe a gentle tap. “Return you to wherever you came from, I suspect,” he replied. “Although I really can’t be certain. Lord Vader kept your details quite secret.” He gave Luke a sympathetic look. “Although from the trauma that you’ve experienced, I can only assume that you’re a prisoner, which means that you’ll most likely be returned to the cells.”

Luke looked down and nodded slightly. He didn’t really want to go back to the cells - to being tortured and abused. But what choice did he have?

Luke laid his arm on top of the sheets, allowing the medic to find a decent vein to inject the drugs into.

_“Join me and together we will restore peace to the galaxy.”_

Luke shook his head to clear his mind of his father’s echoing words. No. That wasn’t an option.

But as the drugs entered his system and his mind began to recede into the depths of unconsciousness, he couldn’t help but think that maybe - just maybe - he was wrong about that.


	8. Chapter 8

 

Leia lifted the helmet from her head and climbed out of the cockpit. Skyro was waiting for her at the bottom of the ladder. He grinned at her as she set foot on the hangar bay floor.

“Aren’t you glad you decided to come with me?” he asked with a grin.

Leia smiled. “I am,” she replied as they made their way across the hangar floor to the changing area. “Thank you for asking me to. I needed it more than I realised.”

“I’m glad I could help, Your Highness,” Skyro replied.

“Oh, for the last time, Skyro. Would you please stop calling me that?”

“No chance, Your Highness,” Skyro said as he looked at her with a smirk.

“Come on, you’ve called me by my name before. Why can’t you do it now?” she asked with exasperation. She had never truly been comfortable with people constantly calling her by her title. She knew they were just doing it out of respect, but it made her feel detached. ‘Leia’ was just so much more real to her than ‘Your Highness’. It held meaning, emotion… friendship. She had eventually convinced Han to use her proper name, although Skyro was proving to be more difficult.

“That was different,” Skyro replied, a slight furrow in his brow.

“What if I ordered you to?” she asked, slightly teasing but also slightly serious at the same time.

Skyro raised his eyebrows. “You know I don’t like following orders,” he replied.

Leia narrowed her eyes at him and gave a huff, crossing her arms across her chest. She opened her mouth to speak, but Skyro turned away from her as someone called his name. Leia shut her mouth abruptly and looked past Skyro to the young man who was making his way towards them.

“Clay!” Skyro greeted the man with a smile and pulled him into a quick hug.

"Skyro, my friend!" the man replied with a grin. "How's the babysitting going?"

Skyro gave Clay a deadpan look and turned to Leia instead of answering.

"Princess Leia, Clay. Clay, Princess Leia," Skyro introduced.

Clay extended his hand towards her and dipped his head. "Your Highness," he greeted smoothly.

Leia rolled her eyes lightly - another sweet-talker, no doubt - but she nodded at his acknowledgement and shook his hand. Actually, she might as well make the most of this.

"Please, call me Leia," she replied, shooting Skyro a glance out of the corner of her eye.

"It's nice to meet you, Leia," Clay said with a smile.

Leia didn't even need to look at Skyro to know that he was shooting Clay a glare. She smirked. At least she had convinced someone to call her by her name.

"I'm deeply sorry for your loss," Clay continued, his cheeky smile now replaced by a genuinely sincere look. "Commander Skywalker was a great man."

"Thank you, Clay," she replied quietly, her mood dropping quickly at the mention of Luke. "He was."

"He helped me out on my first day aboard Home One," Clay explained. "I'm usually stationed on one of the smaller vessels, but this time I just happened to be on Home One when the hyperspace jump call came. In the frenzy, I was lost and Commander Skywalker stopped to show me the way even though he was busy. That was the first - and last - time I saw him, but I will be forever grateful for his help."

Leia nodded, realising that he was talking about the attack on Arka III only a few weeks ago. That had been the last time a lot of people had seen Luke...

"His compassion was one of his greatest strengths," she whispered.

"He had many, though," Clay pointed out. "If he didn't, he wouldn't have survived the Imperial torture as long as he did." He looked down for a moment, his dark hair falling in front of his eyes. Then he looked up and continued, "I know what it's like... Imperial torture, that is.”

"I'm sorry," Leia whispered. She, too, knew how hard Imperial torture was.

“Skywalker had exceptional strength to make it through as far as he did,” Clay continued. “I barely made it through an hour. I owe it to Skyro and his team for getting me out of there. They saved my life.” Clay looked to Skyro with a grateful smile.

Leia glanced at Skyro for a moment. The young captain gave his friend a small smile in return.

“I wouldn’t be surprised,” Leia commented, turning back to face Clay. “Skyro seems to have exceptional skills.”

“Oh, he does,” Clay responded with a knowing smirk. “Although they generally tend to get him into more trouble than anything else. Don’t they, buddy?” His eyes glinted as he gestured towards the two of them in their pilot uniforms.

Skyro rolled his eyes, but it was a playful action rather than a disdainful one.

“Oh, come off it, Clay,” he growled lightly. “I’ve heard enough about my grounding as it is. You know, you should be thankful that I decided to go against my orders. You wouldn’t be here otherwise.”

“I know, buddy,” Clay replied with a grin as he gave Skyro a playful push to the shoulder. “But I’m not gonna forget that you were assigned a babysitter - and I’m not gonna let _you_ forget that either.”

“I’m sure you won’t,” Skyro muttered, glancing at the changing rooms. “I’m going to go get changed. I’ll see you in a bit.”

Leia watched as he left, unsure of whether to follow him or not. For some reason, she got the feeling that he wanted to be alone for a while. As much as he rolled his eyes and brushed the comments off, Leia could tell that the grounding was frustrating for Skyro - humiliating, even. She sighed.

“He’s a good man, Jaymes,” Clay commented quietly as Skyro disappeared through the doors of the changing room.

Leia nodded quietly in agreement, then she frowned. Wait. _What?_

“Jaymes?” she queried, looking at Clay in confusion.

“What, you didn’t know?” he asked with a grin, clearly conveying that he knew she hadn’t. “That’s his real name - Jaymes. Jaymes Skyro.”

Leia looked towards the changing room door in shock. Skyro had always been just ‘Skyro’ to her, so it was weird hearing his full name. She wondered why he had never told her.

“Don’t tell him I told you that, okay? Because he’ll kill me,” Clay said with a smirk. “He hates the name Jaymes.”

Well, maybe that was why he had never mentioned it.

“How come?” she asked, intrigued. She personally quite liked the name.

Clay shook his head. “That’s not my story to tell.”

Leia frowned, wondering what could possibly have happened for Skyro to hate his first name.

“Anyway,” Clay said with a sigh. “I’d better be off. It was nice meeting you, Leia.”

“And you,” she replied half-distractedly. Her mind was still floundering over the new information.

Clay turned and began to walk away, but he stopped short after a few steps. He paused for a moment and then turned around to face her again.

“You know, that information could come in handy sometime,” he said with a wicked grin. “Use it to your advantage.”

Leia looked at him with a smirk.

“Oh, I plan to.”

She looked back towards the changing rooms as Clay departed.

Yes, she was definitely going to use this to her advantage. She hated being called ‘Your Highness’ and he hated being called ‘Jaymes’. And now she had the perfect weapon to get things her way.

But a sharp beeping sound broke her out of her scheming.

Leia scrambled to get her commlink out of her pocket. She flicked it on and spoke into it.

“Leia.”

“I just wanted to let you know that your request has been accepted,” came Mon Mothma’s soft tones. “You’ll only get three hours on the surface, though. Any longer and we risk the Imperials finding us.”

“I understand,” Leia replied. “Three hours is enough.”

“We’ll be making the jump soon.”

“Thank you,” she replied quietly, flicking the commlink off and dropping it into her pocket.

Leia closed her eyes and breathed in deeply, trying to settle her suddenly shaking nerves. She hadn’t thought her request would be accepted as it required them to enter an easily recognisable system. But, much to her surprise, High Command had accepted and now she would finally be allowed to do something that she had been longing to do for the past two weeks.

She opened her eyes and exhaled. Now, she had to get ready.

 

.

.

.

 

Luke opened his eyes wide and looked around him. He was standing on a wide, grassy plain surrounded by thick clouds of fog. But the unfamiliar setting was not what got his attention. In front of him, approximately ten metres away, was a woman - the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She was dressed in a long, flowing blue dress that seemed to intertwine with the wisps of fog. Her hair fell to her waist in soft ringlets and her brown eyes glittered in the dim light.

“Save him,” she said, and her voice seemed to dance through the air, echoing and whispering through the fog. “There is good in him.”

“But what if I fall?” Luke asked desperately. “What if I follow the same path he did?”

“You are stronger than that, Luke.” A strange warmth filled him as the woman spoke his name. “There is good in you. And there is good in your father. Focus on that and you will not fall.”

She stepped towards him slowly, her movements ethereal and smooth. Luke stood frozen on the spot as she moved closer. The woman reached out her hand and gently stroked the side of his face, warmth flowing from her fingertips.

“You can save him, Luke,” she whispered, her eyes glistening. “I know you can.”

Luke gazed at her in awe, his mind oddly blank.

Then he whispered, “I will.”

The woman smiled softly, a single tear falling from her eye.

“I will save him, mother,” Luke continued. “I promise.”

Luke opened his eyes slowly, taking a moment to adjust to the new lighting. He brushed the tears from his eyes and sat up, his body still oddly warm from the encounter with the woman in his dream.

It was dark in the med bay. Only a few monitors were lit up around the room, their screens throwing dim, multicoloured light against the white walls. Luke reached out with the Force, but no one else was in the room with him. He was alone. And he was grateful for that.

He smiled lightly as he remembered the dream - as he remembered his mother. She had been beautiful, just like he’d always imagined. But she had been sad too, he had seen it in her eyes and heard it in her voice. He had to make things right for her - he had to save Vader. After all, he had promised.

Luke looked at the table next to him, searching for a button or device that he could use to summon the medic. But, just as his eyes spotted a small, white button on the side of the table, he felt a presence - and a very familiar presence at that. Luke clenched his jaw as he recognised who it was.

“Obi-Wan,” he growled lightly, turning to face the glowing form of his old mentor. He breathed out steadily, trying to control the anger that was rising within him. Focus on the good - that was what his mother had said. Focus on the good.

But as Obi-Wan opened his mouth to speak, Luke’s temper got the better of him and he snapped, “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Obi-Wan gave him a reproving look, but Luke didn’t feel the slightest bit ashamed. Obi-Wan had flat out lied to him about his father. He didn’t deserve Luke’s patience.

“You didn’t need to know,” Obi-Wan replied after a moment’s consideration.

“Didn’t need to know?” Luke repeated incredulously. “He’s my _father_ , Ben! You knew right from the start and you didn’t tell me!”

Obi-Wan looked down for a moment, then back at Luke.

“Luke, this path you are facing,” he said slowly. “It will destroy you if you choose to take it. It will consume you like it did your father.”

Luke shot him a filthy glare.

“Don’t avoid the subject,” he growled. “You told me Darth Vader betrayed and murdered my father. You _lied_.”

Obi-Wan sighed. “Luke, your father… he was a good man. But then the Dark Side ensnared him and captured his heart with the promise of power. It consumed him, Luke. It stripped him of all his goodness and once it was done, all that remained was Darth Vader. When that happened, Anakin Skywalker - the good man that was your father - ceased to exist. So… what I told you was true. From a certain point of view.”

Luke’s eyebrows shot skyward. “From a _certain point of view_?” His gaze hardened. “Then I believe, Ben, that from a ‘certain point of view’, the only reason you decided to train me was so that one day I could kill Vader - kill _my own father_.”

Obi-Wan shook his head. “You misunderstand, Luke. I -”

“No, I think _you_ misunderstand, Ben,” Luke snapped. “There is still goodness in my father. I have felt it. I will not kill him.”

“Don’t be foolish, Luke,” Ben replied, a slight flicker of irritation emanating outwards from his Force signature. “The Dark Side is too strong. If you choose this path you will fall just like your father. And the Emperor will win. Trust me, Luke. There are many options to take - but this path is not one of them.”

“Trust you?” Luke asked, his anger in full flare now. “ _Trust_ you? Ben, you lied to me and abandoned me when I needed you the most. If you wanted to stop this then maybe you should have tried to intervene earlier when I still had faith in the goodness of the light side - when I was naive enough to believe the lies of the Jedi. Because in the end, you’re just as bad as Vader and we’re all just as bad as each other.”

“Don’t you see what he’s done to you? Luke, listen to me -”

“Why should I listen to you?” Luke almost yelled, his vision tinting concerningly red. “All you’ve ever done is feed me lies and deceit! You wanted to forge me into a weapon! You wanted me to kill my father! Well, I have news for you, Ben. You amazingly failed. I won’t kill Vader and I won’t listen to you any longer!”

Luke reached out to slam his hand against the alert button on the side of the table, but Obi-Wan’s next words stopped him.

“Your mother wouldn’t want this,” he said quietly.

Luke shot Ben a glare. How dare he bring his mother into this?

“She would want him saved,” he retorted.

“But she would also want _you_ safe, Luke.” Obi-Wan’s eyes were wide and sincere as he looked at Luke, although Luke wasn’t swayed by his empathy.

“It’s too late,” Luke whispered, a little remorse slipping into his voice. “I’m the only one who can do it. I have to save him.”

And with that, he pressed the button.

 

.

.

.

 

Leia packed the last of the things into her bag and swung it over her shoulder. It was time. They had come out of hyperspace above Yavin 4 only a few minutes ago, and the shuttle to the surface would be leaving soon. The quicker they were in, the quicker they could get out and prevent their location from being leaked to the Imperials.

Leia strode towards the door, but stopped as she reached for the door release. Her hands were shaking and she felt sick in the stomach, but she had to do this. She wouldn’t forgive herself otherwise. She pressed the release and stepped out into the hallway.

She fiddled absently with the strap on her bag as she made her way to the hangar bay. She didn’t understand why she was so nervous - or at least that’s what she thought she was feeling. Perhaps it was because she was just afraid of letting go. After all, goodbyes were always so terrifyingly final. But Luke deserved a proper funeral, and she would give him that.

She entered the hangar bay to find a group of about thirty to forty people waiting at the entrance to the shuttle that would be taking them to the moon. They all looked at her as she entered and she couldn’t help but let her eyes drop as she moved forward into the room. Skyro approached her quietly.

“How are you doing?” he asked softly as he wrapped a gentle arm around her shoulder and escorted her to the shuttle.

“I’m fine,” she replied weakly, even though she wasn’t. For the past two weeks she had tried not to think about Luke. That hadn’t exactly worked considering there were countless things aboard Home One to remind her of the young Jedi. Still, she had done pretty well at keeping her emotions in check. But now… now was a time for grieving and Leia supposed she was allowed to let her feelings flow, if only to honour her lost friend.

She sniffed lightly as she sat down on the shuttle. The other Alliance members were now filing onto the shuttle and Leia skimmed over them quickly. She recognised most of Rogue Squadron and some of Luke’s other fellow pilots. The rest she didn’t know, but she was grateful for their presence.

Even though they had eventually managed to take down all of the holonet media articles, the news of Luke’s ‘betrayal’ had spread throughout the fleet like wildfire. A staggering amount of people had believed that Luke was a traitor, even though they knew how much he hated the Empire. Some, like the ones gathered here, had remained loyal to Luke whilst others had refrained from taking any sides. It didn’t stop them speculating though. Over the past two weeks Leia had overheard countless conversations about the leaked transmissions and what they indicated about Skywalker. Leia had thought that Lears had been bad, but these… these had been much worse, especially the speculations and the accusations. Some people were suggesting that Luke had been an Imperial agent all along. Others thought he had simply defected. Leia didn’t know which accusation she hated more - the idea of Luke lying to them the entire time, or him abandoning them for their enemy’s cause. Both were false, of course, she reminded herself. Luke had been tortured excruciatingly by Vader and he hadn’t given the information of his own free will. It was obvious to her, but apparently not to anyone else. And she didn’t understand why.

Leia gazed absently out the viewport as the shuttle lifted off the ground and slowly made its way out of the hangar.

No matter what people had to say about him, Luke would always be a hero in her mind.

 

.

.

.

 

“Woah, excuse me! What do you think you’re doing?” came the surprised voice of the medic as he entered the med bay.

Luke looked up from the drawer he had been exploring.

“I’m searching for a decent pair of clothes,” he replied, as if it was obvious. After all, he couldn’t exactly go wandering the halls of the Executor in a medical gown. He closed the drawer and turned to face the medic, standing up straight. The man had the most disbelieving look on his face.

“What - no,” the medic sputtered, regathering his thoughts and moving over to his desk where he quickly placed down the files he had been carrying. “Get back into bed. You’re not supposed to be up.”

“But I’m fine,” Luke insisted.

“No, you’re not,” replied the medic, still struggling with the shock of finding his patient up and exploring when he most definitely should have been resting in bed.

“Yes, I -”

“No. I am you doctor, and I say you still need to rest,” the medic interrupted. “Get back into bed.”

Luke gritted his teeth slightly, but did as he was told, figuring it might be best if he didn’t get on the medic’s bad side just yet. That being said, he really did need to get out of here…

“Can I have a change of clothes at least?” he asked, giving the medic a slightly hopeful look.

The medic studied him for a moment, and then sighed. “Fine,” he conceded. “But only if you promise to stay in bed.”

“I promise,” Luke replied quickly, although he had absolutely no intention of keeping to his word.

The man gave him one last look and then left the room to find some clothes.

Luke’s innocent-yet-rebellious charade fell away the instant the doors closed and his mind quickly slipped into a state of nervousness. To be completely honest with himself, Luke wasn’t sure if what he was about to do was the right course of action. Ultimately, this could go one of two ways: either he would succeed in his attempt to save his father or he would fall prey to the Dark Side and lose himself forever. In his heart, Luke was completely terrified of the latter. He didn’t want to become like his father - he didn’t want to be consumed by the Dark Side. But his mother had faith in him. She had seen the good in him, the strength. And she had told him that as long as he focused on the good, he would not follow the same path as his father. So that was what he was going to do.

He was going to save his father and prove Obi-Wan wrong. Falling was not an option.

Luke snapped back into his not-quite-well-behaved-patient facade as the doors whooshed open again and the medic stepped in carrying a bundle of clothes. Luke looked at him with a smile.

“Thank you,” he said as the medic handed him the clothes.

When the medic didn’t say anything, Luke looked up and asked, “Is there somewhere I can get changed or do you expect me to do it lying down?”

The medic sighed irritatedly. “There’s a ‘fresher over there,” he informed Luke, pointing across the room. “You can get changed in there.”

"Okay." Luke got up eagerly and made his way to the ‘fresher, giving the medic a thankful smile on the way. But, once again, his feigned nonchalance fell away instantly as he locked the door behind him, finding himself alone with his thoughts yet again.

Luke dropped the clothes on the floor and leaned back against the door. He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply, trying to stop the shaking that had suddenly taken over his body. He sunk himself into the Force, immersing himself in his newly-reinforced connection with the energy field. He still hadn’t figured out why the Force felt different to him now. Perhaps something had happened during the two weeks he had been unconscious? Perhaps something had happened when Vader had healed him with the Force?

Or was it the Dark Side?

Luke shook his head and pushed himself away from the door, bending down to pick up the clothes that the medic had given him. He refused to even acknowledge the idea that maybe the Dark Side was already strong within him. He had used it against Vader, yes, and he had found a slither of darkness at the back of his mind during the torture, yes, but he had been delusional! Unstable! Vader had tortured him and drugged him. He hadn’t known what he had been doing when he had delved into his anger to fight Vader. And he had shot all of those stormtroopers because they had been shooting at him! It had been self defence! Hadn’t it? Luke didn’t know. And his uncertainty unnerved him. What if he was already going down the Dark path and he just didn’t realise it?

He shook his head again. No, he couldn’t think like that. He had to save his father, and he could only do that if he was himself - his good, pure self. Or was that even his true nature?

No. Enough. He had made his decision and now it was time to act on it. He needed to stop second-guessing himself. He was stronger than that.

Luke held up the clothes in front of him, finally managing to draw his attention to the task at hand. The garments were rather like his Alliance fatigues - long pants, a sleeveless shirt and a long-sleeved jacket to go over top - only, these were dark grey, whereas the Alliance ones had been almost khaki in colour. He grimaced as he slipped off the medical gown and started pulling the clothes on. He wasn’t overly fond of the colouring choice as he generally associated dark colours with the Empire; however, he supposed he would have to get used to it if he went through with his decision.

Luke looked himself over in the mirror as he buttoned up the jacket. His hair was messy and his skin was pale, making the dark circles under his eyes stand out visibly. He hated to think what he had looked like during the torture sessions if this was what he looked like after two weeks of rest. He ran a hand through his hair to try and settle it down a little, but it only made it look worse. He sighed and turned to face the door.

Now, to get out of the med bay.

Luke took a moment to compose himself and then walked back into the white-walled room.

“You have decided that I am in full health and that I am free to go,” Luke said softly with a slight wave of his hand as he placed his folded medical gown on the table next to the medic.

The medic looked at him for a moment with a slight frown on his face and Luke felt suddenly nervous. What if the mind trick didn’t work? What would he do then?

But his nerves soon turned to relief as the medic nodded slowly.

“I have decided that you are in full health,” he repeated, although his brow was still creased. Luke could tell that the medic was trying to fight the mind trick, but ultimately he just wasn’t quite strong enough. “And I have decided that you are free to go.”

Luke thanked him and left the room hurriedly, not wanting to linger too long in case the medic figured out that he had been manipulated.

Now he had to find Vader.

 

.

.

.

 

Leia gazed mournfully at the burning embers of the fire. Their orange glow lit up the surroundings and cast elongated shadows into the cold twilight. Leia brushed the tears from her eyes, but did not attempt to stop them from falling. She felt no shame in letting her grief show. Her tears were for Luke and they were well deserved. He had been one of the closet friends she had ever had.

She sniffed slightly and buried her face deeper into Skyro’s chest. The young captain readjusted his comforting arm around her shoulder and shifted slightly where he stood. Both of them stared in silence at the burning funeral pyre.

Since they didn’t have a body to burn, Leia had chosen a few different items that reminded her of Luke to put on the pyre: a pilot’s uniform for his love of flying, his brown poncho from his homeworld of Tatooine and a white tunic, similar to the one he had worn on the first day they had met, to represent his goodness and purity. Some of the members of Rogue Squadron had added their own tributes to the fire also - just small mementos that reminded them of their fallen comrade.

Leia looked away from the fire and towards one of Luke’s closest friends, Wedge Antilles. The young pilot had his head bowed and was shaking slightly, struggling not to lose complete control of his emotions. Leia softly pulled herself away from Skyro and moved over to Wedge. She laid her hands gently on his arms and he looked up at her, tears in his eyes. Wedge hadn’t taken to Luke’s death very well. He hadn’t spoken a word since he saw the footage of the torture, and Leia couldn’t blame him. It had been horrifying. She tried to give him a small, comforting smile but her lips quivered and she pulled him into a hug instead. She held him close as he finally let go of his control and let his tears flow freely.

After a couple of minutes, Wedge pulled away and brushed the tears from his eyes. Leia did the same.

“I just miss him so much,” Wedge whispered, his voice shaking.

“So do I,” she replied quietly, barely audible over the crackling fire.

Wedge sniffed and Leia pulled him into one last hug before turning to face the flames again.

She didn’t know how long she stood there staring absently at their flickering depths, but when she looked up again, most of the Alliance members were gone. They had said their goodbyes and paid their respects and were now moving slowly back to the shuttle. Only Skyro stood facing her, his green eyes glittering in the firelight.

He moved over to her and laid a gentle hand on her arm.

“It’s time to go,” he whispered quietly.

Leia blinked back fresh tears and nodded slightly. But she didn’t want to leave. She never wanted to leave.

Because saying goodbye meant that it was final. And she didn’t want it to be.

“I’ll meet you back at the shuttle,” she said quietly, her voice trembling. “I just… need a moment.”

Skyro nodded silently and moved away slowly, letting his hand slide softly down her arm as he passed her by and headed back to the shuttle.

Once he was gone, Leia let out a shaky breath and stepped closer to the fire.

“Luke…” she murmured, not quite sure how to put her feelings into words but wanting to voice them anyway in case he could hear her somehow. “I miss you so much and I -”

She broke off as tears blurred her vision again. She took a moment to compose herself, then continued.

“I’m sorry I failed you,” she whispered to the flames. “I’m sorry I didn’t try harder. All of this is my fault. I’m sorry… I’m sorry…”

She brushed the tears from her eyes and shifted on her feet as she tried to stabilise her shaky voice.

“You meant so much to me, Luke,” she continued. “You were one of the best friends I ever had and I feel blessed to have known you. You were always there for me when I needed you and I…”

She closed her eyes.

“I just really miss you.”

A sob escaped her lips and she knew she couldn’t continue any further. Instead, she bowed her head and tried to direct her emotions outwards and towards the fire, towards the heavens. She took a moment to steady her breathing and then turned away from the pyre towards the shuttle.

“Goodbye, Luke.”

 

.

.

.

 

The stormtroopers at the door pointed their blasters at him the instant they saw him coming. But Luke just raised his hands and did his best to send calming thoughts their way through the Force. The guards seemed to hesitate for a moment, but did not drop their blasters.

“You will let me pass,” Luke said, letting the influencing tones of the Force fill his voice.

The stormtroopers lowered their blasters swiftly and fell back into their usual rigid postures.

Luke took a deep breath and continued on towards the set of grey sliding doors. They opened as he approached and he stepped into his father’s chambers with a confidence that wasn’t entirely real. He stopped just inside the doorway and let the doors close behind him.

At first glance, one would assume that the room was unoccupied, but Luke knew better. He glanced towards the strange, multi-sided box in the middle of the room and extended his thoughts towards it. And, sure enough, he could feel his father’s presence from it, strong and dark. Luke considered sending a nudge his father’s way through the Force, but he was sure that Vader already knew he was here. He was just making him wait.

Luke raised his chin slightly as the black box began to open. Nerves were rolling in his stomach but he did his best to quash them. He shifted slightly on the spot and pulled himself up into a more confident posture, trying to convince himself that this was the right thing to do.

The box finally finished opening and his father looked at him. Luke could sense anger and irritation coming from Vader, but also triumph. After all, Luke had escaped from the med bay. He could have chosen to steal a ship and return to the Alliance, yet he had come here, to his father’s chambers.

Vader’s mechanical breathing cycled through a couple of times but he did not speak, and Luke knew his father was leaving it up to him to admit why he was here.

Luke took a deep breath.

“I have come to accept your offer,” he said with as much confidence as he could muster. “I wish to become your apprentice.”

Two cycles of mechanical breathing passed before the Sith Lord spoke.

“I do not accept you as my apprentice,” Vader rumbled darkly.

To say that Luke was taken aback by those words would be an understatement.

He floundered for a moment, unsure of what he was hearing and how he was meant to respond.

In the end, he settled on a stunned, “ _What?_ ”

“Do you think I can be fooled that easily, my son?” Vader hissed menacingly as he stepped out of the box and strode towards Luke. “I have told you once before and I do not wish to do so again. I cannot be turned from the Dark Side. It is impossible. The man I was before is long gone and you will not find him.”

Luke shifted slightly. Well, he obviously hadn’t done a very good job of concealing his intentions, but he wasn’t about to back down.

“I assure you, father, that is not the reason I am -”

“You cannot lie to me, Luke,” Vader cut him off abruptly. “Your thoughts betray you. You only seek to join me in the aim of returning me to the Light Side. No, I assure _you_ , son. It will not work, and I will not tolerate it.”

Luke buried his thoughts deep and mustered as much anger as he could.

“That is not my intention,” he grit out, putting as much effort as he could into making himself believe those words in the hopes that if he believed them, then so would Vader.

His father paused as he sensed the change in Luke, but he was still cautious.

“Do you accept me as your apprentice or not?” Luke growled between his teeth. He had come this far and he was most definitely not about to back down anytime soon.

Vader studied him for a moment. Then he said, “I will. But only if you prove your loyalty and devotion to the Dark Side.”

Luke pushed down his immediate concern at those words.

“I’ll do anything,” he said.

“Swear it.”

“I swear on my life,” Luke replied.

Vader gave a short, dark laugh.

“You have proved that your life means nothing to you, Luke,” he rumbled. “No, swear on the lives of your friends - the princess and the smuggler.”

Luke tensed. He hadn’t wanted to drag Han and Leia into this. He felt bad enough as it was without thinking about them. He was joining the enemy. Defecting. Betraying.

What would they think of him?

Luke tried to push the thoughts away. No. It didn’t matter what they thought. They probably already believed he was a traitor, so what did it matter if he ended up living up to that title? Yes, he still cared about them and he still considered them his friends, but he would probably never seem them again. After all, there was no way that the Alliance would ever accept him back now. The only person he had was his father.

Still, he realised, he could make one last move for the Alliance. Swearing on his friends’ lives would guarantee them safety as long as he complied to Vader’s orders...

Luke looked straight at his father, his expression determined.

“I swear on the lives of Han and Leia that I will do anything to prove my loyalty to you,” he said.

And his last move for the Alliance was his first move for Vader.

“Good,” Vader rumbled, and Luke could sense his pleasure. “Tomorrow will be your first test. I shall have Admiral Piett assign you a room and supply you with a datapad. You will receive more details later.”

Vader seemed to give him a once over, and if his face wasn’t concealed by a mask, Luke was sure that he would be smirking.

“You are dismissed, my young apprentice,” he rumbled.

Luke bowed his head slightly, suppressing the shiver that rippled down his spine at those words.

“Yes… master,” he replied, the words hard to get out but easy at the same time.

And with that, he turned and left the room.

There was no going back now.


	9. Chapter 9

 

Luke stepped out of the sonic shower and stared at his reflection in the mirror. He ran his hands through his hair to smooth it back into place, electing to ignore the brush sitting on the counter in front of him. He shook his fringe quickly and his fingers brushed against the scar on the side of his temple. He sighed, choosing not to let his thoughts cross that path. Instead, he ran his fingers along the underside of his eyes where the deep black circles still lingered.

Admiral Piett had assigned him a room yesterday, just as Vader said he would. The room was nice, he supposed. It was large and spacious, although the walls were grey and the furniture was dark - a constant reminder of where he was and what he had chosen to do. The room also held a large, soft bed. He had tried to sleep in it last night but ultimately he had been too nervous to reach the comforts of unconsciousness. That was probably why the circles under his eyes were still so prominent. He sighed and turned away from his reflection.

The instant he had stepped out of Vader’s chambers yesterday, his air of confidence had fallen and he had been consumed by nerves. He had had proceeded to wander aimlessly around the Executor for the next hour until Piett had found him and showed him to his room. During that time he had hardly noticed where he went, his mind too troubled by his decision.

Had he done the right thing?

In his heart, he felt like he was making a terrible, terrible mistake joining Vader. But at least he had guaranteed the safety of his friends… Well, for as long as he obeyed Vader’s wishes, that is. Luke shuddered at the thought. He had been so determined at the time to join Vader that he hadn’t stopped to think about the Sith Lord’s words.

_“Only if you prove your loyalty and devotion to the Dark Side.”_

Luke snapped his thoughts away from the memories and stepped out into the main living space of his new room, although a dark feeling still lingered in the back of his mind. _What would Vader make him do?_

Luke reached into the closet and pulled out a set of dark-coloured clothes. He had chosen to remain in his grey fatigues last night, but after a refreshing shower he decided that something new was in order. He didn’t have much choice in what to wear though and he grimaced as he slipped on the black pants and long-sleeved top. He stepped back into the ‘fresher to look over his appearance.

The outfit was sleek and well-fitted and it somehow managed to give Luke an air of authority. He straightened the top a little and adjusted the collar. The black made a great contrast with his blond hair and pale face, making him look a little sickly - which he supposed he was. He was still recovering from the torture and the stun blast to the head, but he could slowly feel his proper strength returning to him. Hopefully in a couple of days he would be back to normal.

Luke gave himself one last look over and then quickly made his way to the bedside table where his new datapad was situated. He flicked it on and checked the time. He still had a couple of minutes before he had to leave…

Luke sat down on the bed and sunk his head into his hands. He took a deep breath in and held it, hoping to stop the nerves fluttering in his stomach. Vader was going to test his loyalty and that probably meant that he would be forced to do something he wouldn’t normally do. And he would be expected to do it without hesitation.

Luke exhaled slowly. He wasn’t sure if he could do whatever Vader asked of him, but then again he wasn’t sure if he could disobey his father. After all, if he didn’t stick to his word, Vader would no doubt release he wrath upon Leia and the Alliance. So, in the end, he had no choice. He had to do whatever Vader asked of him and he had to do it with conviction.

But he also had to make sure that he focused on the good, like his mother had said.

Focus on the good and you will not fall.

Luke repeated those words for the next few minutes, uttering them softly under his breath. Then his datapad lit up, displaying the time in bright, glowing digits, and he knew he couldn’t linger any longer.

Vader was waiting for him.

 

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“Mistress Leia! Mistress Leia!”

Leia doubled back down the corridor as Threepio’s prissy tones rang out.

“What is it, Threepio?” she asked tiredly as the protocol droid approached her, his golden joints squeaking slightly. She hadn’t slept very well last night, although it wasn’t because of her nightmares - in fact, she hadn’t had _any_ nightmares at all last night. No, sleep had just avoided her for some reason and now she was feeling the effects of it. She shifted impatiently on her feet as Threepio shuffled to a stop in front of her.

“You have received a transmission from Lando Calrissian.”

Leia’s spirits perked up immediately and she stared at Threepio with wide eyes as the information sunk in.

Lando had contacted them. That meant that he and Chewbacca were ready to go through with their plan to rescue Han.

Han…

Leia smiled at the thought of the smuggler. It had been so long since she had seen him…

She thanked Threepio quickly and bolted down the corridor to her room, where she wasted no time in finding her holoprojector and keying in her commlink access code.

In an instant, the holoprojector flickered to life and a hazy blue outline appeared in front of her. The projection flickered a couple of times before finally taking the shape of Lando Calrissian. Leia held her breath as the recording started to play.

“Greetings, Luke. Leia,” Lando acknowledged. “I hope you are well.”

Leia’s smile faded a little at those words. So, Lando hadn’t heard the news about Luke…

“Chewie and I have located Han on Tatooine,” Lando continued, his voice warped a little by the poor quality of the transmission. “He is being held by Jabba the Hutt in the gangster’s palace on the fringes of the Northern Dune Sea. I have forwarded you the coordinates along with the location of the Falcon. Everything is in order and I trust to hear from you soon. We’ll be waiting.”

The recording flickered off and Leia stared absently at the place where it had been. Her initial joy at hearing about Han had subsided with the realisation that she would have to break the news of Luke’s death to Lando and Chewie, not to mention to Han as well when they got him out of there. But that wasn’t what was currently on her mind. Because she had realised something else during Lando’s message.

Their plan wasn’t going to work.

She mentally cursed herself and leaned back in her chair, rubbing her tired eyes. She had been far too distracted over the past two weeks, what with Luke’s death and her dreams, that she hadn’t given a thought to their rescue plan - their rescue plan which required great involvement from a certain Jedi who was no longer with them.

Leia groaned and stood up. They needed a new plan - and quick. Lando contacting them meant that he and Chewie had been settled on Tatooine for three weeks now, with Lando having successfully obtained an undercover position in Jabba's palace. To make the plan work Lando needed to have been there long enough to be trusted but not too long that they started to question his presence.

Leia paced her room, trying desperately to think up a plan. When nothing came to her, she sunk back into her chair with a sigh. Luke was always the one to come up with the plans. He seemed to have a knack for that sort of thing. Yes, most of the plans seemed outrageous at first, but they worked. Every time.

Well, every time except for on Arka III when he had promised to return to her…

Leia buried her face in her hands. She needed to think of a plan.

And soon.

 

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The doors parted with a _whoosh_ and Luke stepped onto the bridge of the Executor. His heart was pounding in his chest and he could hear his pulse throbbing just behind his ears. To say that he was nervous would be an understatement.

Various crew members turned to look at him as he made his way down the centre of the room towards Vader and Admiral Piett who were standing facing the viewport, their backs turned to him. The last time he had walked down the runway above the crew pits he had been drugged and delusional, and it seemed that some of the crewers remembered that. Luke could feel their curious stares following him as he approached his father and the Admiral. He stopped just behind them, but they did not turn around and Luke was unsure of what to say.

But just as he was about to announce his presence, his father turned around and gave him a somewhat appraising stare. Well, it seemed that way anyway. Luke couldn’t tell because of the mask.

Under his father’s gaze he felt considerably insignificant, but he also remembered his new title: Vader’s apprentice. Luke righted his posture and gave his father a cool stare as he tried to push down his nerves.

Vader studied him for a moment longer and Luke could sense his approval. Then, Vader turned to Admiral Piett.

“Admiral, my apprentice will be overseeing your work today,” he rumbled. “His orders are to be taken with the same amount of compliance that would be taken with mine.”

Piett turned to face Luke and his expression was neutral as he looked him over, but Luke could sense that the Admiral wasn’t particularly fond of the idea. Luke couldn’t blame him, though. Piett was incredibly loyal to the Empire and so having to serve under a former Alliance member must be somewhat irksome. And not just any Alliance member at that - Luke Skywalker, the rebel who had thwarted the Empire’s plans time and time again. Piett narrowed his eyes slightly at Luke and behind his annoyance, Luke could also sense suspicion.

“I understand, my Lord,” Piett responded to Vader though his tone was slightly skeptical. Then he turned and gave Luke an acknowledging nod, although it wasn’t sincere. “Sir.”

“You will refer to him as ‘my Lord’, Admiral,” Vader corrected with a hint of annoyance. “And he is to be given the same amount of respect and loyalty as I am.”

Luke could see the muscles in Piett’s jaw tense a couple of times as he looked from Vader to Luke, clearly trying to understand the sudden change in relationship and trust between the two. He decided not to press on it though, and instead inclined his head towards Luke again.

“My apologies,” he said stiffly. “My Lord.”

Luke shifted uncomfortably at the title, not knowing what to say. But he was saved from acknowledging the Admiral by the sudden appearance of a young tech.

“Lord Vader,” the tech said, dipping his head slightly. “The Emperor wishes for you to make contact with him immediately.”

Luke was caught off guard by the sudden change in his father’s emotions. He hadn’t realised he had been so attuned to his father’s Force presence, but the scale of the change had caught his attention instantly. But the second he tried to read his father’s emotions, they were gone - snapped out of reach by Vader’s mental shields. Luke gave his father a questioning look, but Vader ignored it.

Instead he simply rumbled, “Remain here,” and followed the tech out of the room.

“Yes, master,” Luke replied half distractedly as Vader left. He frowned as the doors slid closed. Why had the mention of the Emperor caused such concern in his father? At least, he assumed it was concern because no other emotions made sense.

Luke glanced at Piett who was regarding him with a significant amount of curiosity and suspicion. The Admiral raised an eyebrow slightly and then turned to face the viewport again.

Luke couldn’t help the flicker of irritation that sparked at the Admiral’s almost mocking look, not to mention the severe amount of distrust emanating from him through the Force.

“You don’t trust me,” Luke said, and it was a statement rather than a question.

“Do you expect me to?” the Admiral responded.

Luke turned to face the viewport. Beyond them was nothing but dark, empty space.

“Lord Vader trusts me,” Luke responded. He wasn’t entirely certain of the truthfulness of his words, but he wanted to make a point to Piett. After all, if he wanted to go about his mission of returning his father to the Light Side, he couldn’t have any of the Imperials doubting his allegiance. He had to convince them he was on their side.

Piett snorted softly and raised an eyebrow again.

“This is quite a change you’ve gone through, Skywalker,” he commented drily. “I’ve never heard you utter the words ‘Lord’ and ‘Vader’ together in a sentence.”

Luke couldn’t help but shoot a glare Piett’s way. He had never been overly fond of the man, but he hadn’t hated him either. Now, however, he was beginning to feel the slightest bit of animosity towards the Admiral. He was already finding his new position hard enough to cope with. He didn’t need any snide remarks about it.

“Well, it is only fitting now that I am his apprentice,” he replied coldly.

“Ah, yes. Changed sides have we?” The Admiral’s tone was casually skeptical.

Luke turned to face Piett fully, his irritation simmering into barely controlled anger.

“You managed to convince half the galaxy that I was a traitor,” Luke hissed. He still wasn’t over what Vader had done to his reputation. “Yet you don’t believe it now, even when the evidence is staring you right in the face.”

Piett turned to face him and the air about them thickened with tension. Luke could sense the eyes of the crew members watching them.

“I see no evidence, _my Lord_ , that gives even the slightest indication that you’re loyal to the Empire,” replied Piett in a low voice, no doubt having also noticed that they were being watched by the crew.

Luke gritted his teeth at the mocking use of his title. Even though he didn’t like the name, he still couldn’t stand it being used against him.

“I believe Lord Vader ordered that I be treated with respect,” he said harshly.

“And I believe that respect should be earned,” Piett quipped back.

“And I believe that my abilities and position as Lord Vader’s apprentice should earn me that respect well enough,” Luke replied, letting a hint of a threat enter his voice.

“Abilities?”

“Yes. I am gifted in the Force, just like Lord Vader. I assume you know what he is capable of?” Luke paused to study the Admiral’s reaction. Piett didn’t respond, but the slight flicker of fear that crossed his face was all Luke needed to know that the Admiral did indeed know what Vader was capable of. “Then you should know that I am capable of the same,” he finished, the threat now clear in his tones.

But Piett’s slightly fearful look dropped in an instant and he gave Luke a very smug look. Luke frowned. Then it clicked as he remembered his previous conversations with Piett and how the Admiral had been curious about why Vader was so interested in him.

_Oh._

Luke mentally cursed himself for letting his anger drive his speech. He had been careless and now Piett had the information he had been searching for. Granted, it would soon be obvious that he was Force-sensitive like Vader once his father started training him, yet it angered Luke to no ends knowing that Piett had manipulated him into giving out the information willingly.

“Well, I’ll believe it when I see it,” Piett commented wryly as he turned his attention to an approaching officer. His tones were still skeptical, but less so than before and Luke could sense just the slightest bit of apprehension from the Admiral, no doubt caused by the drastic change in the Luke’s personality.

“You might get the pleasure sooner than you expect,” Luke whispered menacingly, just quiet enough for only Piett to hear.

The Admiral gave him a look and Luke could feel a slight flicker of concern from the Admiral, although it was quickly dismissed as he turned again to face the officer.

Luke growled slightly under his breath and turned to face the viewport once again, leaving Piett to his duties. He clenched his fists tightly in an attempt to stop the anger from surging within him. The Force quivered excitedly around him as it registered his anger, cooing quietly at him to unleash it, to show Piett what he could do. Luke uncurled one fist slightly, letting his mind sink into the welcoming folds of the Force, letting his reach extend through the mystical energy field towards Piett… towards his throat...

But then he remembered Yoda’s words from Dagobah and he recoiled instantly.

_“Anger, fear, aggression; the Dark Side of the Force are they.”_

Luke let out a shaky breath as he realised how close he had come to using the Dark Side. He shivered slightly as his anger towards the Admiral faded and instead turned inwards on himself. _What was he doing?_

Ever since the torture sessions, he had been unable to properly control his emotions, especially his temper, and it was driving him crazy because he knew he should be better than this. He was a Jedi. He was above spite and vanity. He used the Force for knowledge and defence, like he was supposed to.

But as Luke recalled Yoda’s training, he realised that he was failing miserably.

Not only had he used the Force to unleash his anger at his father, but he had also let his fear consume him and it had driven him right into Vader’s open arms. The torture sessions had effectively broken him and now Vader was stitching the pieces back together, only backwards. He was turning Luke’s strengths into weaknesses and his weaknesses into strengths. And Luke was helpless to stop him.

Luke reached out to place a hand on the transparisteel of the viewport and he noted, rather ironically, that it was his right hand that he reached out. The hand that Vader had cut off. The hand that was now entirely mechanical, just like most of his father.

Maybe this _was_ his destiny… Maybe he _was_ meant to follow in his father’s footsteps...

Luke looked out to the stars mournfully. Somewhere out there, Leia was probably fighting against the evils and the oppression of the Empire, yet here he was, standing on the opposite side of the line.

_Traitor_ , he thought quietly to himself.

His mind threw back instant defences to that accusation.

_I’m not a traitor. I had no choice. I’m doing this for my father… for my friends…_

But his excuses were weak and he knew it. Even his mother’s hopeful words couldn’t inspire him.

He had always considered there to be a fine line between the Rebellion and the Empire, between the light and the dark. And he had always known exactly which side he was on.

But now he didn’t. He was lost, wavering somewhere between the light and the dark, the sun and the shadows, caught in the grey, the penumbra…

Whispers whirled around him and it was a moment before he realised that what he was hearing was not in fact coming from his imagination, but rather from the Imperials in the crew pits. Luke sharpened his senses and remained still as he focused in on a particular conversation that had caught his attention.

“Isn’t that Luke Skywalker?” came the hushed voice of an officer.

“It can’t be,” replied another quietly. “Luke Skywalker is dead.”

_Luke Skywalker is dead._

The words repeated inside Luke’s head as his attention turned once again to the stars in front of him.

_Luke Skywalker is dead..._

Was that true? _Was_ he dead? Was the part of him that was truly Luke Skywalker - a young, idealistic, hopeful youth - truly gone?

He didn’t think so. He still held his values, his beliefs and he still had hope that there was goodness in his father. But he couldn’t help but feel that ‘Luke Skywalker’ was slipping fast.

And once he was gone...

What would be born from the ashes?

 

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“Thank you so much, Skyro. This really means a lot to me.”

“Anything I can do to help, Your Highness,” Skyro replied with a smile as they made their way down the corridor. “So, we leave tonight?”

“Yes,” Leia answered, coming to a stop just outside her room. “We’ll need to make a couple of short hyperspace jumps before we go to Tatooine so no one can trace our hyperspace vector back to the Alliance’s location.”

“Of course,” Skyro said with an understanding nod. He looked thoughtful for a moment and then asked, “Once we get to Tatooine, what then? What’s the plan?”

“I’m still working on that,” Leia replied, not meeting Skyro’s gaze as she pressed the door release to her room. “But don’t worry, it’ll work.”

“Why should I be worried?” Skyro responded, playfully sarcastic but also slightly concerned.

Leia gave him a reassuring smile, although she wasn’t entirely convinced herself that her plan was going to work. Well, if you could even call it a plan. More like, vague idea that was more likely to go terribly wrong than right. She was glad Threepio wasn’t around right now to give her the odds of their success. She was sure it’d be small.

“I need to contact Lando,” she said as she stepped inside her room. “So, if you’ll excuse me.”

“Of course,” Skyro replied taking a step away from her. “I have to ready my team anyway. I’ll see you tonight, then?”

“Tonight,” she confirmed and she gave Skyro a small, thankful smile before the doors slid closed and she was alone in her room.

Leia sighed as she turned around and started making her way over to her desk chair. Lando hadn’t been overly convinced about Luke’s plan, so she was sure he wasn’t going to like hers much more.

She pulled out her commlink as she sat down and switched the device on, keying in the codes required to contact Lando on Tatooine. The lights on the device flickered on, indicating that it was connecting.

A second later, a hushed voice came, “This isn’t a good time, Leia.”

“I know,” she replied quickly, leaning forward to rest her elbows on the desk as she spoke into the commlink. “But this is urgent, Lando. There’s been a change in plan and I need you to meet me.”

“ _What?_ ” came Lando’s incredulous reply.

“I’ll be on Tatooine tomorrow morning and I’ll be meeting Chewie at the Falcon. I need you to be there. Tell Jabba you’re meeting a contact.”

“Leia, are you crazy? This is not -”

“Lando, trust me on this,” she cut him off. She didn’t have time to argue; she was already putting the mission in danger by contacting Lando at Jabba’s palace when she wasn’t supposed to. Any longer and he risked being found out. “It’ll make sense later. Just be there tomorrow morning.”

Lando hissed slightly and she could tell that he was not fond of the idea at all. She couldn’t blame him, though. It would have been hard enough to secure a position at Jabba’s palace in the first place, and now she was asking him to get out _and_ back in within without damaging Jabba’s trust in him. It was certainly risky, but there was no other option.

“I will,” Lando replied after a moment of conflicted deliberation. Then he added hurriedly, “I have to go.”

The commlink beeped as the connection was cut off and Leia leaned back in her chair, letting out a shaky breath. The conversation had been intense, but at least she had convinced Lando to meet her.

She reached for a datapad and flicked it on, intending to skim over some reports before she had to leave. But her mind wandered and soon enough she found herself becoming awfully nervous about the rescue mission. Her plan was a long shot, but she was sure that if they executed it properly, it would go off without a hitch and Han would be back with them in no time… Right?

Leia placed the datapad back on the table, giving up on the reports, and rubbed at her eyes as she ran over the plan in her head. Skyro and his team had agreed to accompany her to the planet and they would be ready to leave tonight. From Home One they would make three short hyperspace jumps to give them an approach vector to Tatooine that wouldn’t allow anyone to trace them back to the Alliance’s current position. Once on Tatooine, they would locate the Falcon and Leia would finally announce her plan to the others.

Her plan…

Leia sighed and closed her eyes as she began triple-checking the angles of her crazy idea to make sure that she hadn’t missed anything that could severely endanger the lives of her friends. But she was far too tired to pay any real attention to her thoughts, and soon enough she was slipping into the depths of unconsciousness…

Only to be snapped back to reality a moment later by a strange chill running down her spine.

Leia snapped her eyes open and froze as she sensed a presence in the room. Whoever it was was behind her, but that was all that she could tell. She didn’t even know how she knew that much, but the feeling was strong and she couldn’t shake it. Leia’s eyes dropped to the desk, but there was nothing on it that she could use as a weapon against the intruder. She didn’t even have her blaster on her…

So, all that she could do was spin around on her chair and face the person...

And her heart almost stopped as she looked over the man standing in front of her. Her fear turned into instant confusion and her mind floundered for a while before she was capable of speaking.

Even then, her words were only a whisper.

“ _Obi-Wan?_ ”

 

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.

 

Luke paced in front of the viewport, caught somewhere between anger and nervousness. It had been almost two hours since Vader had left the bridge and Luke knew it didn’t take that long to make a transmission. So, where was his father and why had he left him? Surely, he hadn’t forgotten about him?

Luke’s anger flared at the thought, although he quickly suppressed it. No, this was just a game of Vader’s. The Sith Lord obviously knew that leaving him alone on the bridge would rattle his emotions in some way - either he’d become angry at his father for leaving him, or he’d become extremely nervous from thinking about what would come next. The thing was, Luke was now feeling _both_ emotions. And he wasn’t sure which one would triumph when his father decided to return.

Luke glanced around the bridge and over the heads of the working crew members. Then he turned away sharply with a soft growl as he caught the Admiral’s eye and began pacing in the other direction. Piett had left him alone since their previous conversation, although he hadn’t refrained from giving Luke various looks over the past two hours. And neither had the crew members. Luke could sense their intrigue at his sudden appearance as a high ranking official. After all, no one ever received such a high ranking title in such a small amount of time - especially not over the course of two weeks. And especially not someone who had been kept prisoner by Lord Vader.

Luke stopped his pacing and returned to facing the viewport as he recalled the last time he had been on the bridge. Back then, he had fallen at Vader’s feet, unable to cope with the pressures of the torture and the Dark Side. How ironic, he thought as he realised that he was doing just the same thing right now - falling at Vader's feet. Back then it had literally been because he wasn't able to stand, but now it was because the pull of the Dark Side was too strong. It was like gravity. You could convince yourself that you were capable of overcoming it - through spaceships, flying and the like - but ultimately, it was too strong and if you weren't careful, it would pull you right back again, spiralling helplessly downwards until you hit the ground with a colossal impact and had no chance of ever getting up again.

Was that what it had been like for Vader? Was he really beyond redemption just like Obi-Wan believed? Luke bowed his head as the doubts flickered through his mind unrestrained. His father had tortured him almost to the brink of death, manipulated him and threatened his friends. That didn’t seem like a man who was capable of being redeemed. But, then again, Vader had saved him - he had saved his life and had put considerable effort into doing so. And, more importantly, there was his mother’s belief. She had told him that there was still goodness in Vader. She had told him that he could be saved… But was that true? After all, it had only been a dream...

Luke looked out to the stars, projecting his questions out to their fiery depths as if they were somehow capable of giving him the answers.

Then his mother’s words echoed through his mind once more.

Focus on the good and you will not fall.

Luke took a deep steadying breath to clear his mind of the battling emotions. Even if it had been nothing more than a dream, the message was still clear: he alone was responsible for his fate. He alone was responsible for whether he fell or not. Luke took another steadying breath as he let the message sink in. He reached out to the Force and tried to sink his thoughts into the serenity of the light.

But before he could get a proper grip on the calming energy field, the doors to the bridge slid open and his anger flared immediately as he registered his father’s presence. Luke turned around to shoot a glare his father’s way, although he stopped short as he felt the powerful emotions radiating off Vader. And his anger turned to instant trepidation.

To put it simply, Vader was livid. Luke didn’t know why, but he was sure it didn’t mean well for him, or for the members of the crew. He stared at Vader, frozen, as the Sith Lord prowled down the runway of the bridge, the tension palpable in the air. Piett and the other Imperials on the bridge seemed to notice Vader’s mood too. Most of them kept their eyes to themselves, hoping that if they looked like they were focusing on their work then Vader wouldn’t have a reason to kill them. Others were more game and tracked Vader’s movements with their eyes, although their fear was evident in their frozen forms.

Luke felt sick as Vader moved towards him, black cloak billowing menacingly behind him as he stepped. The dark energy rippling through the Force was so powerful that Luke physically had to restrain himself from taking a step back. Luke righted his posture and swallowed nervously as Vader approached.

But then suddenly Vader turned and looked down into the left crew pit.

“Officer Lithgow, report.”

Luke shivered at the dark tones in his father’s voice. His fear was still prominent, although it had dropped a little as Vader’s attention had shifted elsewhere. Now, Luke watched as one of the officers in the crew pit looked up at Vader, trembling visibly. The officer’s mouth opened and closed a couple of times, before he turned around and made his way out of the pit. He came to a not quite dignified stop in front of Vader and raised his chin slightly.

“Lord Vader,” he acknowledged. “I -”

“You were the one responsible for sending the latest updates to Coruscant, were you not?” Vader cut him off.

“I …” the officer faltered, his eyes shifting nervously around the room. Everyone was watching the confrontation with baited breath.

“Were you?” Vader growled.

“Yes,” Lithgow replied quietly, shrinking visibly in front of Vader’s towering form.

“And were those transmissions sent?”

“I, uh… I believe so, my Lord,” Lithgow stuttered.

“You believe so?” Vader repeated, laying emphasis to the man’s words.

The office nodded hurriedly, but it seemed he was too overwhelmed by fear to actually respond with words.

“The transmissions were not received, officer, and the Emperor is very displeased with your work,” Vader hissed, raising a curled hand Lithgow’s way.

The officer didn’t seem to have as much control as Luke did, for he stepped back nervously at Vader’s movement, his eyes flickering apprehensively between Vader’s hand and his face. Lithgow’s hand twitched and he seemed to be restraining himself from reaching to his neck as he thought of the countless officers who had died choking at Vader’s hand.

Only that didn’t happen this time. Instead, Vader twisted his hand to point at Lithgow as he said, “My apprentice will deal with you.”

Luke froze as all eyes landed on him and his father turned around to face him. His mind went completely blank and his heart seemed to skip a beat.

_What?_

“Dispose of him,” Vader ordered, and Luke’s numb gaze fell to Lithgow. The man’s eyes were wide with fear as he stared at Luke and he appeared to be trembling.

Luke’s mind spun for a few moments longer before it seemed to catch up with the situation and Vader’s words sunk in.

Vader wanted him to kill the man.

Luke looked at his father in shock. He couldn’t do that! He wasn’t a killer!

But then his father’s words echoed through his head again and he realised that this was his first test.

_“Only if you prove your loyalty and devotion to the Dark Side.”_

Luke floundered for another moment, the shock of the order still numbing his bones, but then his gaze flickered back to Lithgow and he took a step forward.

 

.

.

.

 

Leia’s mouth opened and closed about five times before she finally got a hold of herself and clamped her jaw shut as she took in the glowing form of Obi-Wan Kenobi. He stood casually a couple of metres away from her with a look on his face that suggested that this was entirely normal.

“How… how am I seeing you? Am I dreaming?” she asked, pushing herself out of her chair.

“You are not dreaming, Leia,” Obi-Wan replied, his voice echoing in an unearthly way. “I am appearing to you through the Force.”

Leia’s brow furrowed with confusion. “The Force?” she questioned. How was that possible? She thought only Force-sensitive people were capable of such feats. At least that was what Luke had suggested when he had told her about the Jedi and how they were capable of doing things that most people would consider to be unnatural, such as seeing or appearing as Force ghosts.... So, how was she seeing him now if the gift was only given to those who could connect with the divine energy field?

“Yes,” Obi-Wan replied. “You have grown quite strong in the Force over the past two weeks - strong enough for me to be able to appear to you.”

Leia gaped at him. “Wait… _What?_ Are you saying that I’m… I’m… like Luke?”

Obi-Wan shifted slightly at the mention of Luke’s name, but nodded slowly.

Leia shook her head. “No, that’s not possible,” she said, taking a step back. “I… Luke had a power that I could never have… You must be mistaken.”

“Search your feelings, Leia,” Obi-Wan replied. “You know, deep down, that what I’m saying is true. You have that power too.”

Leia shook her head again, struggling to comprehend what Obi-Wan was telling her. It wasn’t possible. She couldn’t have the Force. That was Luke’s power, not hers! But as she thought it over, she couldn’t shake the feeling that Obi-Wan was telling the truth.

She looked at him, mind reeling.

“No,” she whispered quietly, as if that simple word could change everything. She didn’t know why she was so terrified of the possibility that she was Force-sensitive. Maybe it was because she had heard about the Jedi - about how they had been destroyed by Darth Vader. Or maybe it was because she had seen how much it had changed Luke. Granted, it hadn’t changed him for the worse. He had still been the same idealistic, heroic youth that he had been when they had first met. He had just never been the same after the events on Bespin. He had never told her what had happened that day. All she knew was that it had something to do with Vader.

Leia shivered slightly at the thought of that monster. Vader… If she was Force-sensitive, then that meant that he would be after her if he ever found out. And if he did find her, it would mean nothing good. After all, look what he had done to Luke.

She looked to Obi-Wan’s lined face, her eyes pleading him to tell her that it was a joke - that it was actually a dream, and that she couldn’t possibly have the Force. But she knew that wasn’t going to happen. Because no matter how much she tried to deny it, Obi-Wan was telling the truth. The feeling in the back of her mind told her so.

Obi-Wan seemed to sense her uneasiness at the realisation and he gave her a small, comforting smile.

“It is a powerful gift, Leia. I sense already that you will become a great Jedi.”

Leia looked down for a moment as she struggled to find her voice. This was way too much to deal with right now. She had a mission to plan and she needed a clear head if she wanted it to go well. She couldn’t have Obi-Wan’s words distracting her. So, she needed to figure this issue out now.

Leia took a deep breath and held it for a moment as she opened her mind and let the truth settle in.

She was Force-sensitive and there was nothing she could do to fight it. It was a part of who she was.

Her brow creased as she thought those words over. Her mind was oddly okay with that statement - with the truth of who she was. It seemed that somehow… she had always known.

Leia exhaled, her mind now clear. She looked at Obi-Wan again. She had the truth, now she needed answers.

“Why are you only telling me this now?” she asked, her voice quiet but strong.

Obi-Wan sighed. “It is a dark time, Leia. The Empire is growing stronger even as we speak. I had hoped to spare you from this fate, but Luke’s failure gave me no other choice.”

Woah. Excuse me?

“ _Failure?_ ” Leia repeated indignantly. “Obi-Wan, Luke is _dead_. He was captured by Vader, tortured and murdered! I wouldn’t call that failure on his behalf.”

“You don’t know the truth of it,” Obi-Wan murmured quietly, his gaze oddly remorseful.

Leia frowned, confused. “What does that mean? _‘The truth’?_ ”

Obi-Wan shook his head. “It doesn’t matter.”

Leia raised her eyebrows incredulously and was about to protest, but Obi-Wan cut her off.

“What matters is that you are the only hope left for the galaxy now,” he said. “Leia, you must go to the Dagobah system. There you will learn from the only remaining Jedi Master. He will teach you what you need to know to overcome the Dark Side and bring down the Empire.”

Leia’s mind reeled. Dagobah… That sounded oddly familiar… She struggled for a moment to place the peculiar name, but then she remembered that Luke had mentioned it once and she realised what it was. It was the place where Luke had gone to after their escape from Hoth - the place where he had trained to be a Jedi.

“No, I can’t,” she said, shaking her head. “I’m not like Luke. I can’t just go running off to learn about the ways of the Force. The Alliance needs me.”

“The _galaxy_ needs you, Leia,” Obi-Wan implored. “You’re the only one who can bring an end to the tyrannical reign of the Emperor.”

“And I’ll do that through the Alliance,” she grit out, her gaze hard. She wasn’t about to just drop everything for the Alliance and go learn about the Force just because the ghost of an old man told her to. Luke could do that, but she couldn’t. She was tied to the Alliance and they needed her - now more than ever, what with Luke’s loss.

Obi-Wan sighed impatiently and shifted slightly on his feet.

“You’ve been having dreams, have you not?” he asked, obviously finding that his current tactic wasn’t working. “Vivid dreams that you can’t shake?”

Leia frowned immediately at the change in subject, but did not answer. How did he know that?

“They’re not dreams, Leia. They’re visions,” Obi-Wan continued. “They can show you the past, the present and the future, but only if you have the proper training. If you learn to understand them they could become a great asset to the Alliance.”

Leia shook her head at the new information. This conversation was becoming even more overwhelming by the second. First, he had told her that she had the Force, and now he was telling her that she could _see the future_? This was all too much for her tired mind to cope with right now.

Leia took a deep breath, choosing to look past the outrageous suggestion and instead focus on the logical reasoning of the situation.

“If you know about Luke’s death, then you’ll know that the Alliance didn’t react kindly to his supposed betrayal,” she said. Obi-Wan shifted slightly at her words, but she chose to ignore the curious movement for the time being. “Their faith in the Jedi is lost. If they find out that I’m one too, I’ll lose all my power within the Alliance and I won’t be able to do anything to stop the Empire.”

“That’s not true, Leia. They need you - they need your _powers_. They may not realise it yet, but they will soon.”

“Again, what’s with the mystical foreshadowing?” she asked irritatedly, narrowing her eyes. She never understood how Luke had accepted all this cryptic nonsense without batting an eyelid. It was unnerving. “What’s going on? What aren’t you telling me?”

Obi-Wan sighed and looked down, not meeting her gaze. “All I can tell you is that the Dark Side is growing stronger by the second. If we don’t prepare properly, then the Alliance will be completely and utterly destroyed.”

Obi-Wan looked lost in thought for a moment, his brow creased and eyes troubled. Then he looked at her again.

“You’ve felt it too, haven’t you? In your dreams?” he asked quietly.

Leia didn’t respond, but her thoughts shot instantly to her nightmares. The darkness and the swirling tendril of red… Vader and her in the forest.... Those _eyes_ … Yes, she had felt it. She hadn’t realised it at the time, but now that she knew that her dreams weren’t actually dreams… she couldn’t deny that something bad was coming.

“So, you want me to abandon the Alliance and become a Jedi?” she asked quietly.

“You don’t have to abandon the Alliance in doing so, Leia. You just need to spare a few weeks to get the proper training,” Obi-Wan said, as if it was the easiest thing in the world. “And the sooner, the better. Our time is running out fast.”

Leia sighed and rubbed her eyes, considerably conflicted. She couldn’t leave the Alliance. Not now. Not when they were at such a considerable risk from the Empire. But what Obi-Wan had said about the future… about how the Dark Side was growing stronger… She knew that was true - and she knew it posed a much greater threat to the Alliance than the Empire currently did.

“I’ll consider it,” she said after a moment’s deliberation. “I have a mission that needs my attention right now, but once I’m back from that… I’ll... definitely consider it.”

Obi-Wan nodded, knowing that that was about as good as he was going to get from her right now.

“I’m not making any promises though,” she clarified, eyebrows raised. “The Alliance means a lot to me and I can’t just go running off at a time like this. But I also feel that you are speaking the truth. Just… give me some time to think this all over. You’ve really thrown a lot on me in the last few minutes.”

“I know,” Obi-Wan murmured, sincerely. “And I’m sorry. I wouldn’t be doing this if it wasn’t absolutely necessary.”

Leia nodded. Her mind was still buzzing from the information overload but she did her best to keep it clear and focused on the moment.

“Is there anything else you need to tell me?” she asked, and by the look in Obi-Wan’s eyes she knew there was. She mentally braced herself, preparing for another impossible truth to be thrown her way. Only, Obi-Wan’s next words were not at all what she had been expecting.

“If you can spare the time on your next mission, I would advise you to visit my home on the edge of the Dune Sea.” He hesitated for a moment before continuing. “There you will find a card labelled ‘C1’. It may come in handy eventually.”

Leia froze, her thoughts of Dagobah and the Force disappearing in an instant.

“How do you know about that?” she asked in a whisper. That was top secret classified information and only a few people knew about it.

“Your father entrusted the card to me a long time ago,” Obi-Wan replied, his translucent form flickering softly in the light. “He tasked me with keeping it safe in case he ever needed it. He couldn’t risk it falling into enemy hands.”

“And he was right about that,” Leia replied quickly, remembering what her father had told her about the project. “It’s a dangerous weapon, and if you even think that I’d be willing to use it then you are gravely mistaken.”

Obi-Wan gave her a long look.

“I’m not asking you to use it, Leia. I’m just saying that it might not be such a bad idea to have it ready to go if a situation ever requires it,” he replied quietly, his tired eyes glittering with hidden pain and sorrow. “Sometimes we are required to do things for the greater good that we wouldn’t normally do.”

Leia paused for a moment, the look in Obi-Wan’s eyes worrying her greatly. What did he know that she didn’t?

“Do you really think it’ll come to that?” she asked quietly.

“It might,” he replied. “And it might not. Only time will tell.”

Leia sighed and then nodded.

“I’ll collect the card,” she acquiesced slowly, “but I won’t use it unless absolutely necessary.”

Obi-Wan nodded in acknowledgement. “You’ll need to find the other card as well,” he added. “Although I’m afraid I won’t be much help with that. Your father wisely decided to never disclose the location of C2...”

Obi-Wan broke off abruptly as he realised something, the sadness in his eyes dwindling down even deeper than before.

“But if it was on Alderaan...” he trailed off quietly.

Leia chewed on her lip for a moment as the Jedi stared off absently into the distance. The she took a deep breath.

“It wasn’t,” she whispered.

Obi-Wan looked at her curiously.

“I have it.”

 

.

.

.

 

Luke moved slowly down the runway towards Vader and the condemned officer. His hands were trembling slightly and his mind was blank as he came to a stop at his father’s side. He gave Vader a look, but the Sith Lord gave no further instruction. His order was clear: Luke was to kill the man or he’d fail his first test and he would be refused as Vader’s apprentice.

Luke swallowed nervously as he turned his gaze on Lithgow. He had never killed someone before. Well… not like this, anyway. Luke flinched slightly as he recalled the destruction of the first Death Star - the pain of all those voices crying out in terror and then being suddenly silenced. And then his thoughts flickered to his escape from his cell. He had killed countless stormtroopers during that escapade without even blinking an eye. Was this really that different?

_Yes_ , was his immediate reaction. Pulling a trigger was one thing, squeezing the life out of someone using the Force was completely different. It was a Dark Side power, and that was what made Luke the most apprehensive. Yoda had told him that once you start down the Dark path - that once you embrace it and begin to use it to your advantage - there is no going back.

But he had used it before, during the fight with Vader, and he was still here, wasn’t he? He was still in touch with the Light Side...

_But how much longer can you last?_ whispered the cold, irksome voice in his head.

Luke elected to ignore the troubling words and glanced at his father again. He could sense Vader’s impatience growing rapidly by the second, and with it, a deep anger at being disobeyed. Luke couldn’t put it off much longer. He had to act soon or Vader would unleash his wrath.

Luke looked back at Lithgow and reached out a hand, curling his fingers lightly into a chokehold and reaching out at the same time with the Force to lock his extended grip around the man’s throat. Then, before he could second guess himself, he squeezed.

And almost instantly lost his concentration as the man’s emotions blazed through him. Fear was the most prominent, but there was also a deep sense of regret. Luke frowned, wondering what could possibly make the officer feel such a way in his last moments. Perhaps it was regret at not having sent those transmissions properly, Luke remarked with dry irony.

He tightened his grip, heart racing, adrenaline pumping. Lithgow’s face was turning purple and his hands were twisting desperately around his throat in an attempt to remove the invisible chokehold. Luke clenched his fist even tighter, feeling the man’s Force presence start to flicker out...

But then his vision flashed and his mother’s voice rang through his head, loud and clear.

_You are stronger than this, Luke. Focus on the good and you will not fall._

Luke’s eyes widened as he realised what he was doing and his grip on the officer’s neck slipped in an instant. He took a shaky step backwards as Lithgow fell to the floor, coughing violently and clutching at his throat. Luke’s breath was shallow as he looked at his father. And he instantly recoiled.

Vader’s rage was palpable and his voice was low and menacing as he spoke.

“Need I remind you, _apprentice_ , of our deal?”

Luke blinked a couple of times, then looked down at his hands. They were shaking uncontrollably, but he couldn’t figure out whether it was from shock or excitement. The Dark Side had just felt so _good_ …

He stood still on the spot, panting heavily as he looked down at Lithgow’s cowering form. The man was still sputtering, but it seemed he had managed to get his lungs working again. Luke blinked again, trying to snap himself out of the trance-like state he was in.

Focus on the good. _Focus on the good_ …

Luke repeated those words over and over in his head, but they just weren’t sinking in, and his mother’s voice seemed distant as he delved into the Force again, unable to stop himself.

He had a job to finish.

Luke didn’t extend his hand out this time. Instead, he focused all of his concentration on the man’s rapidly beating heart…

And squeezed.

It took less than five seconds for Lithgow’s Force presence to disappear from his senses. The colour drained from the officer’s face and a look of twisted surprise flashed in his eyes as his life was extinguished. The body sunk to the floor and there was silence.

Luke took a step back from the corpse, breathing deeply. His hands were no longer shaking, but he didn’t know what to feel. He had just killed a man…

It was another couple of moments before Luke’s mind seemed to swim back to reality and he registered the complete and utter silence on the bridge. He looked up, and the first face he saw was Piett’s. The Admiral’s eyes were wide with shock and his face was paler than usual. He dropped his gaze the instant Luke looked at him, as did the other crew members.

Luke’s heart rate was picking up now as he glanced around the bridge. The fear emanating from every crew member was making him feel sick. Because they weren’t afraid of Vader… they were afraid of _him_ …

_What had he done?_

Luke’s eyes dropped down to Lithgow’s lifeless body and he felt bile rise in his throat. He had just _killed_ the man…

But that wasn’t the worst thing. Oh, no. What was worse was the absolute _pleasure_ rolling off of his father. Luke couldn’t even look at Vader because he knew that if he did, he would be physically sick.

His eyes lingered on Lithgow’s body for a moment longer, before he turned and rushed from the room.

 

.

.

.

 

Leia sat quietly at one of the tables in Home One’s mess hall, staring absently out at the stars. Her mind was still reeling from the conversation with Obi-Wan earlier, although she was beginning to make sense of it all. But right now, her mind was on her dreams.

The meaning of the forest dream was obvious - at least she thought it was. If you looked at it at surface value, it represented the threat of the Dark Side and how if she didn’t act soon, all of the things she loved would be snatched from her. The example in this case being Luke handing himself over to Vader only to be killed and labelled a traitor a couple of days later. However, it also told her that she couldn’t run from her fate because her path was set now. The galaxy needed her - needed her to become a Jedi.

She hadn’t been able to figure out the dream about darkness and red tendrils though. That one was still a puzzle. She had initially felt that it was just another way of representing the Dark Side, but as she thought it over further she couldn’t help but feel that there was much more to it than that. After all, she had never truly been able to remember all of that dream. She was missing something - an important piece of the puzzle that once found, would make the picture startlingly clear.

But that piece was still far from her reach.

Leia sighed and looked down at the tabletop, running her fingertips along the cool surface. Then a familiar voice caught her attention and she looked up.

Across the room, Skyro was having a decidedly animated conversation with Clay. Leia smiled softly as she watched the two friends converse for a moment, before she figured that she was probably intruding, staring like that, and turned her attention back to the bland tabletop.

She continued to trace patterns over the surface for the next couple of minutes, letting her thoughts wander to trivial matters. It felt nice, not having to worry about anything, even if it was only just for a few minutes. But then she sighed, figuring it would probably be best if she began preparing her things for the mission to Tatooine. She gave the stars one last look before she pushed herself out of her seat and turned to start heading towards the doorway.

Only she stopped short as her gaze landed on Skyro. The young captain was now alone and his gaze was blank as he stared at the spot where Clay had been only minutes before. Leia frowned, scanning the room for the captain’s friend, but he wasn’t there. He had obviously left - probably called away for a meeting or something.

Leia made her way slowly over to Skyro. When he didn’t seem to register her presence, she waved a hand in front of his face and asked quietly, “Skyro? Are you okay?”

The captain blinked and shook his head, obviously shaking himself out of his absent trance.

“What?” he asked, blinking a couple more times to bring her into focus. When he realised who she was, he ran a hand through his dark hair and gave her a small smile, although his gaze slipped a little. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just… lost in thought.”

Leia frowned slightly as Skyro looked towards the door.

“Actually… I need to go,” he murmured, a slight crease wrinkling his brow.

“Oh, okay,” Leia replied, unsure of what had gotten into the young captain. She had never seen him so out of it before. “I’ll see you later for departure, yeah?”

“Yeah,” he murmured as he made his way towards the door, not even looking back. “See ya.”

Leia frowned and crossed her arms as the doors slid closed. The distracted mood was unusual for Skyro, but then again perhaps it wasn’t as concerning as she had initially thought. After all, the young captain had been through quite a lot over the past couple of weeks and now he had been tasked with a very important mission. She couldn’t blame him if he was stressed - especially considering his last mission to Tatooine had winded up with him being brainwashed by the Imperials - but she just hoped that he would be okay for tomorrow. Everyone needed to be on top of their game if they were going to get Han back.

Leia sighed as her thoughts came back to Han and the mission. They would be leaving in a couple of hours so she had to start getting ready. She ran a hand through her hair and then left the mess hall, the doors sliding closed behind her as she rounded the corner and made her way to her room.

 

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.

.

 

Luke couldn’t stop himself from shaking as he slid down the grey wall of his room and pulled his knees up to his chest. His breathing was thready and shallow and his pulse was throbbing loudly behind his ears - something, he realised sickeningly, that Lithgow wouldn’t be experiencing any longer.

Luke clenched his eyes shut at the thought. But there was no solace in the darkness, because it seemed that the image of the officer’s lifeless body was burned into his retinas. Luke opened his eyes again and instead, tried to focus on calming his breathing. But that attempt was foiled in an instant as the doors to his room slid open and Vader stepped in.

“Go away,” Luke hissed, although there was no malice in his tones - only a strong desire to be left alone.

Vader wasn’t obliging though. He moved towards Luke and stopped only a couple of metres away, his mechanical breathing hissing softly in the relative silence.

“You have done well, my son,” he rumbled as he looked down at Luke’s tiny form curled up in the corner.

Luke’s breathing hitched as he sensed his father’s pleasure and approval once again. He had done _well_? He had just murdered someone! That wasn’t exactly what he would call ‘doing well’.

Luke shook his head, doing his best to ignore Vader and the sickening emotions rolling off of him through the Force. But he didn’t even last a minute before he whispered, “I killed him.”

“And how did it feel?” Vader’s tone was low and dark.

Luke’s blood chilled and he shook his head vehemently, trying to erase Vader’s words from his mind.

Because that was a question he was afraid to answer.

“Did it feel good?” Vader pressed.

“No!” Luke retorted instantly, but it was more instinctual than actual truth. “It was terrible and horrible and…”

“And what?”

Luke looked at his father, eyes wide as he whispered:

“I enjoyed it.”


	10. Chapter 10

Guilt… disgust… self-loathing…

No.

Anger… fear… aggression…

_No_. Stay _neutral_.

Luke stared absently at the grey wall opposite him, pushing away the troubling thoughts every time they surfaced. He couldn’t let them consume him - they’d destroy him if he did. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t seem to shake that heady feeling of power that had come to him as he had squeezed the life out of the officer yesterday.

Luke looked down at his hands which were folded lightly in his lap. They hadn’t stopped shaking since he had returned to his room after the incident, although they had settled down to a dull tremor over the hours that had passed between then and now.

_ “I enjoyed it.” _

His words echoed throughout his head, twisting and hissing, making his insides churn. But no matter how hard he tried to deny his feelings on the matter, he just couldn’t do it. Because he _had_ enjoyed it. He _had_ relished in the feeling of taking another’s life. And it sickened him to the core.

Luke bowed his head and tried to push the thoughts away. This inner turmoil had been raging throughout the entire night, making him nauseous and depriving him of sleep - not that he wanted to sleep, anyway. He was too afraid that the officer would somehow come back to haunt him in his dreams.

Luke continued to stare absently at the wall, letting the vague numbness of neutrality settle over his thoughts and draw him out of the painfulness of reality...

Although the sudden appearance of a dark figure by his side snapped him out of his trance in an instant. Luke started in shock and was about to scramble away from the intruder before he realised who it was.

Vader.

Luke looked up at his father with wide eyes, and the instant he caught sight of the black, emotionless mask, all his feelings seemed to come rushing back and he felt physically sick. He dropped his gaze instantly and sunk his pale face into his hands, trying to convince himself that it was all just a dream and that Vader wasn’t really here right now.

But of course that wasn't true.

Two cycles of mechanical breathing passed before the Sith Lord spoke.

“You didn’t meet me on the bridge like I asked,” Vader rumbled darkly, his tone disapproving.

Luke blinked a couple of times but did not raise his head or even begin to respond to that statement.

There were a few moments of seemingly hesitant silence before Vader continued, his tone now concerningly neutral, “I sense that you are troubled about the events of yesterday.”

Luke raised his eyebrows slightly, but still did not respond. ‘Troubled’ was putting it lightly.

“I have therefore decided that I will let you off your duties today, so that I can begin your training.”

Despite his mental restraints and desire to ignore Vader, Luke couldn’t help but raise his head at those words. He looked at Vader with wide eyes as he tried to read his father’s Force presence.

“You’re accepting me as your apprentice?” he asked quietly. Hope swelled inside him at those words, although he wasn’t quite sure whether it was because his father had finally acquiesced his request or whether it was because of some darker, more concerning reasons…

But no matter what the cause, his hope died the instant he heard Vader’s reply.

“No,” his father answered shortly and Luke groaned, sinking his head back into his hands.

Vader studied him for a moment and Luke could sense a thick air of irritation swirling around the Sith Lord, although it was warped and distorted, almost as if his father was trying to quell the emotions.

“However,” Vader began slowly, and Luke could sense hesitation once again, yet also determination. Was his father trying to be diplomatic? “Your performance and willingness to cooperate in the training sessions may well convince me that you are ready to become my apprentice.”

Luke chewed absently at his lip as he mulled over those words. Training with his father couldn’t be too bad, could it? He didn't know what it would entail, although he supposed it couldn't be much different from what he'd done with Yoda on Dagobah... Only he'd be using the Dark Side instead of the light... and there'd be a lot more danger of losing himself completely...

Luke pushed those troubling thoughts away and instead focused on the potential positive outcomes of the training - if he could convince Vader that he was a worthy apprentice, then Han and Leia were pretty much guaranteed safety. After all, he had made a deal with Vader and he was intending on keeping it.

So, it seemed his mind was already made up on the matter. He just had one question first…

“Will it involve me having to kill anyone?” he asked quietly.

“No,” Vader rumbled in response.

Luke nodded slowly, still thinking the proposition over in his head. His father seemed genuine enough in his words, but then again, he was only speaking about the training. What came after… Well, Luke didn’t really want to think about that right now, but he had a feeling it would involve further bloodshed.

“If anything, the training will provide a much needed distraction from your thoughts,” Vader rumbled.

Luke sighed softly and then stood up, straightening his black uniform as he did so. His father was right. He needed a distraction. And considering that this distraction would also further his goals to becoming Vader's apprentice, it would be stupid to refuse.

Luke studied Vader’s mask for a moment, before giving an acquiescing nod and muttering, “I’ll come.”

 

.

.

.

 

Leia gazed out absently at the blue swirls of hyperspace as she sat slumped in the copilot's seat of the shuttle. It had been over eight hours since they had left the fleet and Skyro and his team had been playing sabacc in the back ever since. The young captain had asked her if she had wanted to join, but she had politely declined and, instead, had elected to remain in the cockpit. It probably hadn't been the best idea, however, because now she was stuck with the many troubling thoughts that had arisen from her earlier conversation with Obi-Wan.

"How're you doing?" came Skyro's voice from the cockpit doorway.

Leia looked up and gave the captain a small smile, brushing the concerning thoughts aside for the moment.

"I'm fine," she replied. "If a little bored."

"Then come join us," Skyro said, softly jerking his head towards the back of the ship.

Leia shook her head. "I think boring is what I need right now," she murmured quietly as she turned to look out the viewport again.

Skyro gave her a quizzical look but knew better than to press. Instead, he stepped into the cabin and leaned his arms on the back of the pilot's chair.

"What's that?" he asked, pointing to the data card that Leia had been absently tapping against the dash the entire time.

Leia stopped her tapping and turned to look at the card for a moment, as if she had only just noticed its presence. Then, realising what it was, she quickly pocketed it and gave Skyro a small smile.

"It's classified," she said, slightly apologetic. She didn't like hiding things from the people she trusted, but this project that Obi-Wan had asked her to revive was far too dangerous to be public knowledge.

"Oh, okay," Skyro replied, a slight crease wrinkling his brow as he stared at the place where the card had been. Then he shook his head and gave her a playful look. "What about your plan for Tatooine? You still haven't told us anything about it. Is it classified, too?"

"You know, the more you ask me about it, the less likely I am to tell you," she said, returning the look, eyebrows slightly raised.

Skyro pouted.

Leia gave a short laugh and looked down at her lap for a moment before returning her gaze to Skyro's green eyes.

"I've told you before, Skyro. The plan will be revealed once we meet Lando and Chewie, not before." Her tone was still playful, but she meant what she said.

"Please?" he asked as he slid into the pilot's chair, brushing his dark hair out of his face as he looked at her with glittering eyes.

"No, Jaymes," she said, resisting the urge to smile as she used Skyro's first name. "And that's final."

"Okay, okay. I was just -" Skyro stopped short in his reply as he realised what she had said. Leia couldn't help but crack a grin at the multitude of expressions that crossed the captain's face. First, shock. Then, confusion.

Finally, he settled on a narrow-eyed glare.

"Clay told you, didn't he?"

Leia shrugged, looking nonchalant.

"You know I don't like that name,” he said, still keeping the glare tracked on her, although it wasn’t heated. If anything, he was probably mentally cursing himself for leaving her alone with Clay the other day.

"Then don't call me 'Your Highness'," she replied simply, a light smile dancing on her lips.

“That’s hardly fair,” Skyro said, leaning back in his chair and folding his arms. “‘Your Highness’ is your title. It’s only respectful to call you that.”

“Fine, Jaymes,” Leia replied, giving another shrug and turning to face the viewport. “You can do that if you wish.”

There was a considerable pause before Skyro responded this time.

“You’re not gonna let this drop, are you?”

“Not at all, Jaymes,” she replied with a smile as she continued to look out the viewport.

Skyro huffed and turned away, running a hand through his dark hair. Silence filled the cabin again and Leia fiddled with the card in her pocket as she waited for him to respond. Although after a few more minutes of silence passed, she realised he wasn’t going to.

Leia turned in her seat to look at him curiously. Skyro had his elbow rested on the control dash and there was a far-off look in his eyes as he gazed out the viewport. His playful manner of before was nowhere to be seen. Instead, he seemed oddly remorseful. Leia frowned.

“Why don’t you like the name?” she asked quietly, a little hesitant to break him from his thoughts.

Skyro blinked at her words and glanced downwards for a moment. Then he sighed and leaned back in his chair again, before uttering, “It was my father’s name.”

There was silence again and Leia was beginning to regret even bringing up the topic. She knew how painful the past could be; she didn’t want to force Skyro to relive it.

“I’m sorry, Skyro,” she apologised quietly. “I shouldn’t have asked.”

Skyro shook his head. “No, it’s fine. I guess I just haven’t thought about him in a long time,” he murmured, chewing on his lip slightly as his eyes lost their focus once again. He stared out into the blue swirls of hyperspace for a few more minutes before he shook his head and looked at her, green eyes glowing intensely.

“He was the reason I joined the Alliance, you know,” he said quietly as he reached out to fiddle with one of the dials on the dash.

Leia listened in respectful silence as Skyro continued. She didn’t know much about his past, so she was intrigued to find out what had brought the young, playful captain to join such a dangerous cause, but she was also feeling incredibly bad about bringing up the subject. It seemed awfully painful.

“He was an avid Imperial supporter,” Skyro said, avoiding her gaze as he fiddled with another dial. “He was all for humanoid supremacy, slavery and whatever other atrocities the Empire supported. I didn’t agree with him, obviously. And neither did my mother…” Skyro sighed and looked down, stopping his absent fiddling with the control panel. After a couple more moments, he continued, “One day I was stupid enough to voice my opinions on the matter… He got angry… And violent. My mother tried to intervene, but that didn’t end so well. So, I decided to leave,” he finished, a strong determination in his eyes.

“I’m sorry,” Leia whispered, not knowing what to say. “If I had known that, I wouldn’t have brought up it up in the first place.”

“It’s fine,” Skyro muttered, shaking his head. “I’ve never actually told anyone that. Not even Clay knows the real story. He just thinks it’s because of some petty thing about my childhood.”

“What happened to your mother?” Leia asked quietly, both honoured and confused by the fact that Skyro was telling her this. They had only known each other for a few weeks, yet here he was telling her things he had never told anyone else. Granted, dark times tended to pull people together, and Leia had a feeling that her friendship with Skyro would grow quite strong in the coming months. They had been through a lot together, and they were about to go through a lot more.

“I got her out of there before I left,” Skyro said, his eyes glittering softly at the thought of his mother. “She wasn’t too badly hurt from the fight with my father, but she still needed some medical attention. I took her to the closest medcentre and while she was being treated I contacted her family on Corellia. I told them what had happened and they decided it’d be best if she went to live with them. They picked her up the next day and I went on to find the Alliance.”

“What about your father?”

“No idea,” Skyro shrugged, turning to face the viewport again. “I dropped all contact when I went in search of the Alliance. I never wanted to hear from him again.”

“I’m sorry,” Leia whispered again. She wasn’t sure what she was apologising for, but she felt like she needed to say it.

“It’s fine. All that matters now is that I’m here and I’m happy,” Skyro said, giving her a soft smile. “And I think you’re partially to thank for that, Leia.”

“You don’t have to call me that -” she began sincerely, but he cut her off.

“No, I understand. ‘Your Highness’ reminds you of what you lost because of the Empire,” he said quietly, his green eyes glittering in the dull light of the cabin. “The same way that ‘Jaymes’ reminds me of my losses.”

Leia nodded slowly in acknowledgement and thanks. The conversation hadn’t gone at all like she had planned, but she was grateful for how it had seemed to deepen the trust and understanding between the two of them.

Skyro glanced at the control dash and then shot her a playful look, the reminiscence of before now long gone.

“We’ve still got an hour before we have to drop out of hyperspace. Do you wanna play some sabacc?” he asked.

Leia smiled lightly. “I’d like that,” she said, and she meant it.

Skyro’s grin widened and he pulled her out of her seat.

“Just so you know, I won’t go easy on you,” he said as they made their way out of the cockpit.

“And I won’t go easy on you,” Leia replied, shooting Skyro a wicked grin.

 

.

.

.

 

Luke followed a step behind Vader as they made their way through the corridors of the Executor. Technicians and officers moved out of their way and snapped to attention as they passed, yet Luke could feel their lingering stares on his back as he continued down the hallway. Some of the Imperials were merely curious - wondering who the newcomer was and why he was with Vader - whereas others seemed more fearful. Obviously the story of Luke’s role in the death of the officer yesterday hadn’t quite made the rounds with the crew yet, although he was sure that by the end of the day, everyone would know about Vader’s mysterious ‘apprentice’.

Luke’s brow creased slightly as they rounded a corner and entered a very familiar corridor that ended in a simple set of grey sliding doors. Luke glanced curiously at his father, but then he realised that it probably made sense to begin the training somewhere where they wouldn’t be disturbed by other crew members.

The doors slid open as they approached and Luke entered his father’s chambers yet again, although this time he was in a significantly different position to last time. His eyes scanned the room and almost instantly landed on the large, mysterious black box. He still hadn’t figured out what it was used for, although he was unsure whether to ask or not.

It seemed, however, that Vader had sensed his curiosity.

“It is a hyperbaric chamber,” the Sith Lord informed him in a low voice as he stepped into the room.

Luke took a couple of steps forward, but still lingered in the doorway. The doors slid closed behind him and he frowned.

“What’s that?” he asked. He had never heard the term before.

“It is a life support pod,” Vader explained simply. “It allows me to breathe without my mask on.”

“Oh,” Luke murmured, gazing curiously at the chamber. He shuffled slightly on the spot and bit at his lip as a whole swarm of questions came rushing to his mind. He opened his mouth to speak, but his nerves got the better of him as he looked at Vader and he shut his jaw tight.

“You may speak freely, Luke,” Vader rumbled. “I will answer your questions.”

Luke dropped his gaze for a second, slightly annoyed that his father could read him so easily. Then he looked up and opened his mouth again, although he hesitated, unsure of how to phrase the question.

“What, uh…” he muttered, shifting slightly on his feet and not meeting Vader’s gaze entirely. “What happened to you?”

“How’d I end up in this suit, you mean?”

Luke nodded.

Vader gave what sounded like a long sigh and gestured for Luke to take a seat at the desk. Luke hesitated for a moment, but he sensed that his father was willing to tell the story, so he moved over to the desk and sank into the cold, hard chair. He looked at his father with wide eyes, and tried to push down his nerves. It was disconcerting being so informal with Vader. He knew the Sith Lord was his father, but sometimes it just didn’t feel like it - especially since father’s were meant to care for their children, not almost torture them to death and condemn them to a life of darkness.

No. Luke shook his head, brushing those thoughts away. Vader was all that he had now. And he had saved his life. That had to count for something.

Luke leaned back slightly in the chair and gave his father his utmost attention.

“I was badly injured in a fight,” Vader said slowly, pacing just in front of Luke. “I lost my arm and both my legs, and I was left to burn in the lava. The Emperor saved me, but only just. This suit is what keeps me alive.”

Luke gaped at Vader’s words. He hadn’t expected his father to put it so bluntly.

“Who did it?” he whispered, watching his father closely.

Vader stopped his pacing and Luke could sense a great deal of resentment swirl around the Sith Lord as he turned to face Luke and growled, “Obi-Wan.”

Luke’s jaw dropped even further and his eyebrows shot skyward. _Obi-Wan_. Well, there was another detail that the Jedi Master had conveniently left out of the story of Anakin Skywalker - just like he had left out the fact that Anakin had become Darth Vader. Luke supposed the detail mustn't have fit in with the ‘certain point of view’ that Obi-Wan had tried to con him into seeing. Well, he certainly saw now - _saw just how hypocritical the Jedi were_. Yoda had told him that the Jedi sought peace and tranquility - that they never used their skills to kill unless it was in self-defence. Cutting someone’s arms and legs off and leaving them to die in a pit of lava certainly didn’t sound like self-defence. And training a son up to kill his father didn’t sound like something a Jedi would do either. Yet Obi-Wan had done both.

Luke was seething now and his jaw was clenched tight as he looked at his father.

“He never told you, did he?” Vader asked, obviously already knowing the answer but asking anyway to make a point. Luke shook his head. “There are many things Obi-Wan never told you.”

“I can see that now,” Luke hissed, his trust in his old mentor now completely gone.

“The Jedi are full of deceit, Luke,” Vader rumbled. “They do not hesitate in lying to achieve their ends. The Dark Side is open and honest. It will guide you if you let it.”

Luke nodded, struggling to get a grip on his anger. He knew his emotions were justified - after all, he had been lied to pretty much his entire life and it was all because of Obi-Wan’s doings - yet he still hated having no control over his temper. It was something that he had always found difficult, but Yoda’s training had taught him how to manage it. Now, however, he was back to where he had begun. Luke clenched his fists. He needed _control_.

“I can teach you control,” Vader rumbled darkly and Luke looked up, once again caught off guard by the fact that he was apparently so easy to read. “But you will need your anger, Luke. The Dark Side thrives off of powerful emotions. You will be able to control the Force much better if you embrace them.”

Luke took a deep breath and nodded again.

“What are you going to teach me?” he asked, knowing that in speaking those words he was willingly placing his feet on the Dark path. But he didn’t care. He’d do anything right now to escape the lies he had been told - the lies that _Obi-Wan_ , his supposed trusted mentor, had told him.

Vader eyed him for a minute, then said, “First, I will teach you how to shield your Force presence.”

Luke frowned, not quite understanding why he would need to do that.

“Why?” he asked, his anger momentarily replaced by confusion and intrigue.

“Because if you want to remain with me, then you will need to conceal how powerful you are with the Force,” Vader rumbled.

Luke still didn’t understand and was about to ask for further clarification, when his father continued, “Otherwise, the Emperor will take you for himself. He already has a great interest in you, Luke; if he discovers your true potential then there will be no stopping him from taking you from me and training you himself.”

Luke’s stomach tightened in dread at the thought. If he was taken away from his father then there would be no way for him to return Vader to the Light Side… if that was even possible...

“What if he’s already discovered my true potential?” Luke asked quietly, unable to shake the sickening feeling in his stomach.

“I don’t believe he has,” Vader replied. “But I cannot be sure. That is why I must teach you this skill now. It will be our only hope in overthrowing the Emperor.”

Oh, yes. _That._

Luke had completely forgotten about Vader’s plan for them to rule the galaxy side by side as father and son. He had never been thrilled by the idea - and he still wasn’t - but amongst all the other things that had been going on in the past couple of weeks, he had forgotten about that little scheme entirely. But now that he had discovered the Emperor’s intentions to train him for himself, he realised that it might not be such a bad idea to work with Vader on this one. Ruling the galaxy seemed a little too much, but overthrowing a tyrannical, power-hungry Emperor… He could do that.

“Won’t the Emperor be suspicious if my Force presence is suddenly shielded?” he asked.

“Not if you do it right,” Vader replied, his mechanical breathing echoing throughout the room. “I have no doubt that he has already felt your presence over the past couple of weeks due to your many outbursts and displays of power.” Luke dropped his gaze from Vader’s face at those words, slightly ashamed of himself. “But I believe I have managed to convince him that your erratic Force presence is merely due to the amount of trauma you have suffered over the past two weeks. If we can start to mask it now, then perhaps we can convince him you’re not worth the effort.”

Luke nodded slowly, but his thoughts were elsewhere - caught by what Vader had said about conversing with the Emperor.

“Is that why you were so concerned about making contact with him yesterday?” Luke asked, looking up at Vader and reaching out with the Force in an attempt to read his father’s emotions. “Because you thought he might try to take me from you?”

Luke sensed irritation rise in his father, although it was quickly suppressed. It seemed that Vader was doing his best to be honest with him right now.

“Yes,” Vader replied after a moment’s hesitation. “Although I knew he would make contact once he sensed you were awake again, so I was well prepared to deflect his questions.”

Luke’s frown deepened and he hardly heard his father’s words as something else caught his attention.

“Wait, but I thought…” he murmured, eyes flickering distractedly across the grey flooring as he thought over the events on the bridge yesterday. “I thought the Emperor made contact to check up on the fleet’s progress. After all, you said he was displeased by the fact that the officer hadn’t sent the transmissions...”

Luke looked up at his father with wide eyes, a sinking feeling developing in his stomach. Something about this didn’t add up. Yes, Vader and the Emperor could have discussed the updates on the fleet _and_ his potential in their Dark schemes, yet the nagging feeling that the Force was giving him suggested that something wasn’t quite right. And the slight flicker in Vader’s Force presence at his words only added to that suspicion.

Luke frowned and before Vader could respond, he muttered, “You left me alone on the bridge for almost two hours… It hardly takes that long to make a transmission, so why did you take so long to act on the officer’s errors... Unless....”

Luke’s stomach plummeted and he looked up at Vader in horror as the realisation hit.

“He _did_ send the transmissions, didn’t he?” Luke whispered meekly, eyes wide as he desperately searched Vader’s Force presence for any sign that he might be wrong about this.

A cycle of Vader’s breathing passed before he responded slowly, “He made plenty of mistakes in the past, Luke.”

That was all the confirmation Luke needed. He bolted out of his seat and pushed past Vader towards the doorway, although he stopped just out of reach of the doors’ sensors. His hands were shaking again and his heart was pounding in his chest.

The man _had_ sent the transmissions...

“Luke -”

“He was innocent,” Luke whispered, cutting Vader off. He kept his back turned to his father, unable to look at his dark form. Just when he had thought he could trust Vader, it turned out that the Sith Lord had lied to him about a very crucial detail - and, unlike Obi-Wan’s lies, he had actually acted upon this one. “The officer was innocent and you made me kill him.”

“Luke -” Vader tried again, but just like last time, he was cut off.

“Why?” Luke hissed, still refusing to look at his father. His fists were clenched tight, although they were still trembling visibly.

There was a moment’s pause before Vader responded. “You needed to experience the power of the Dark Side,” he rumbled, voice low and dark. “And I needed to make your position clear to those on board the bridge.”

“It still doesn’t justify what you made me do,” Luke snapped.

“Life isn’t fair, Luke,” Vader growled, anger rising. “And you agreed to obey my orders.”

“I didn’t expect to be lied to,” Luke retorted harshly, his voice rising. “Although I suppose I should have. You claim to be open and honest with me, yet you’re just as bad as Obi-Wan.”

“You enjoyed it, though. Killing him,” Vader hissed, deflecting Luke’s accusations and instead choosing a weakness to pry at. “You even said it yourself.”

“Don’t!” Luke almost yelled, holding up a hand, although he quickly dropped it because it was still shaking profusely. He took a deep breath in and then exhaled slowly. “I can’t do this,” he whispered. “I can’t…”

And the doors slid open as he stepped towards them. But just as he was about to pass through the doorway, Vader spoke.

“Leave if you will, but know that the Emperor will make you kill thousands of innocents if you abandon my training.” His voice was neutral, almost uncaring.

Luke came to an abrupt halt and gritted his teeth. Of course Vader had to pull that card. He knew his father was right, though; he needed the training. After all, he couldn’t let himself fall into the Emperor’s hands - he’d be well and truly lost if that ever happened. Still, choosing to turn around and go back to Vader seemed incredibly hard to do. It was degrading - an act of submission. And he knew that was what Vader wanted.

Luke clenched his fists tightly and then opened them, breathing out as he did so.

“If I choose to go through with the training, I need to know that you won’t lie to me again,” he whispered.

“And I need to know that you will follow my orders without question,” Vader responded.

Luke shifted slightly. “I will follow your orders,” he began slowly, and he knew that this time he truly had to stick to his word. He wasn’t in any position to be making deals with Vader and he knew that the Sith Lord wouldn’t tolerate it much longer. And anyway, it would be suicide to refuse the training, especially now that he knew what the consequences would be if he didn’t fully cooperate. “As long as you are honest with me. You have my word.”

“And you have mine.”

Luke took a deep breath and stepped back inside Vader’s chambers, turning around as he did so to look at his father.

“Then let’s begin.”

 

.

.

.

 

There was a soft hiss as the cabin depressurised and Leia took a deep breath. They were here.

“Remain on the shuttle,” she said, glancing around at Skyro’s team who were gathered in the main area of the ship. “I’ll return once I’ve settled the plan with Lando.”

The Rebels nodded in acknowledgement. Many of them held blasters and wore grim expressions on their faces. They hadn’t been told the plan yet, but they understood that it was going to be risky. Leia admired their courage.

Finally, her gaze landed on Skyro and she gave him a small smile, although it probably looked more like a grimace in the dim lighting. From the look that he gave her in return, she could tell that he was wishing her luck and strength for the conversation with Lando. She nodded slightly in thanks. She would need it.

“Be on the lookout,” she said, giving her last order to the group. “It is unlikely that our presence will be discovered, but not impossible. If an attack comes, then don’t hesitate to stand your ground. I want all of you to get through this mission safely.”

The team nodded and Leia shot one last glance at Skyro before she turned and pressed the door release.

The dry heat of Tatooine hit her the instant the door slid open and she quickly stepped out of the shuttle, hoping not to let too much sand be blown into the ship by the strong wind that was whistling through the desert. Leia brushed her hair out of her face and squinted towards the Millennium Falcon which was positioned a mere hundred metres away. The sight of the ship brought joy to her heart, but also a pang of sadness. But she decided not to linger on her feelings too long for the twin suns were only just above the horizon and sinking fast. Soon, it would be wicked cold.

Leia pulled her poncho tight around her and moved forwards towards the Falcon and the two figures that were now approaching her, one much larger than the other. Nerves rolled in her stomach, but she tried to maintain a positive expression as she neared her friends.

“Leia!” Lando called in greeting as he came to a stop in front of her, his dark hair whipping in the wind. He gave her a wide grin and pulled her into a hug, although his smile dropped the instant he noticed she was alone. “Where’s Luke?” he asked, brow furrowed in concern.

Leia swallowed nervously, feeling incredibly sick. Chewbacca roared lightly when she didn’t reply and Lando’s concerned expression seemed to double.

“Let’s go inside, shall we?” Leia deflected meekly, brushing her hair out of her face again. “Before this turns into a sandstorm.”

Lando looked like he was about to protest, but a particularly sand-filled gush of wind seemed to change his mind and he nodded in agreement as he brushed the sand out of his eyes. Leia pulled her poncho up to cover her mouth and together they made their way back to the Falcon.

It was all too soon before they were safely inside the ship and dusted off. Leia was only just finishing slipping her poncho back over her head when Lando spoke.

“What’s going on?” he asked, a slight flicker of irritation evident in his voice, but also a great amount of concern. “Why’s the plan changed? And where’s Luke?”

Leia fiddled nervously with the edge of her poncho, not quite sure how to say what needed to be said. They didn’t have much time to get their plan sorted, but she didn’t have it within herself to be completely blunt about Luke’s death.

“You haven’t had access to the holonet, I presume?” she asked quietly, not meeting Lando’s intense gaze.

“No,” he replied slowly, evidently confused by the unexpected topic. “We didn’t exactly want to give off an unnecessary signals. Why? What happened?”

Leia took a deep breath and mustered her courage.

“Luke handed himself over to Vader,” she said, voice trembling slightly.

Chewie whined softly at that and Lando’s eyebrows shot skyward.

“Why’d he do that?” he asked.

“To save me,” Leia replied, shifting slightly on her feet and looking down. “And a scout team. But it was a trap.”

Lando and Chewie were silent, waiting for her to continue.

“We tried to rescue him but, uh…” Leia faltered, shaking her head. She brushed a loose strand of hair out of her face and looked up at Lando, eyes wide and glittering. “We were too late.”

A stunned silence filled the cabin and Leia looked back to the floor again as she let the information sink in.

Lando floundered for a moment before whispering, “Luke’s dead?”

Leia nodded and turned away, bringing her hand up to her mouth. No. She wasn’t going to cry. _She wasn’t going to cry._

She squeezed her eyes shut and took a deep breath. Behind her, Chewie was howling and Lando was muttering curses under his breath. Leia exhaled slowly, trying to block them out. Maybe she shouldn’t have told them until after the mission was over… But it was too late now, and anyway, she owed Lando the truth, especially since he was risking so much by coming here.

Leia took another deep breath and forced her emotions to the back of her mind, bringing forward the plan she had for Han’s rescue. They didn’t have time for grieving right now. They needed to get Han out and get off this rock before anyone found out they were here. She exhaled and turned around.

“We need to discuss the plan,” she said, letting her diplomatic training take over to stop her voice from shaking. “We don’t have much time.”

Lando looked at her like she was crazy, and maybe she was. Luke’s plan had been sketchy enough, but at least his Jedi skills would have given them a back-up plan if necessary. Now, it was just the three of them and Skyro’s team. That didn’t exactly give them the best chances for getting Han back.

Lando glanced at Chewie for a moment and then looked back at Leia, nodding slowly. She could tell he was shaken by the news of Luke’s death - both of them were - yet, he was doing his best to keep his focus on the mission at hand.

“What do you have in mind?” he asked quietly.

“Is Jabba expecting any shipments in the next couple of days?” Leia asked, getting straight to the point.

Lando frowned, but looked thoughtful for a moment. “Yes,” he replied slowly. “Tomorrow morning, in fact. Why?”

“Is it an important shipment?” she asked, heart rate picking up. Tomorrow morning meant that they didn’t have long to get ready.

“Uh, I guess so,” Lando replied, rubbing his chin. “It’s meant to be carrying a whole stack of spice, I believe. There’s been a lot of talk about it in the palace, actually. There’s even been rumours that it’s carrying glitterstim. But I don’t see why this is relevant.”

Leia’s eyebrows raised slightly at Lando’s words. Glitterstim was an incredibly rare spice to come across. And it was extremely expensive.

A small smile crossed her face. Maybe things were finally beginning to go their way.

“So, it’d be important enough that if it were to come under attack, Jabba would do everything in his power to protect it?” she asked, pulling her commlink out of her pocket.

Lando stared at her for a moment, brow furrowed and confusion etched on his face. Then, everything seemed to click and his eyebrows shot skyward.

“You’re not honestly thinking of attacking a Hutt shipment, are you?” he asked incredulously. Chewbacca seemed to roar in agreement with the ex-smuggler.

“Will it draw him out?” she asked.

Lando rubbed at his face and groaned. “Yes, it will draw him out. But it will also draw _everyone_ out.”

“Good,” Leia replied, keying Skyro’s comm code into her commlink. “That’s what we need.”

“No, you don’t understand, Leia!” Lando insisted. “It’s suicide to go up against the Hutts, especially when glitterstim is involved. You won’t last ten minutes!”

“Then it’s a good thing we only need nine,” Leia said, giving Lando a wry smile.

Lando groaned and turned away whilst Chewie growled something incomprehensible.

“Don’t worry, it’ll work,” she reassured them. “But only if we get to work now. Lando, you need to get back to the palace and tip Jabba off about the attack. Don’t mention the Alliance, though - we don’t need another war on our hands. Chewie, get the Falcon ready; I need you to take me somewhere. I’ll contact Skyro and his team now and give them their orders. Is everything clear?”

Lando didn’t look happy about it - and neither did Chewie - but he nodded and moved towards the exit. Leia placed a hand on his arm as he passed, and he turned to look at her.

“I know I’m not Luke and I know there’s a great chance that this plan might go awry somewhere along the line,” she whispered quietly, “but we need to get Han back. It’s what Luke would have wanted.”

A great sadness shone in Lando’s eyes at the mention of their fallen friend, but he nodded and murmured back, “I know.”

“Contact me if there are any issues,” she said, turning to watch as Lando left the ship. He waved a hand in acknowledgement and then disappeared out into the orange light of the Tatooine sunset.

Leia turned around to face Chewie, but the Wookie was nowhere in sight. She frowned, wondering where he might have gone. But then she heard the sound of the power converters firing up and she smiled. She knew Chewie wasn’t fond of the plan, but his life debt to Han meant that he’d do anything to get the smuggler back.

Leia keyed the call button on her commlink and lifted it to her mouth.

“Skyro,” she said. “I need you to get me some ships.”

 

.

.

.

 

Luke breathed in and out, letting his mind sink into the folds of the Force. He could feel the anger still simmering within him from the argument with Vader, yet he made no move to push it away. Instead, like his father had said, he embraced it and used it to channel his connection with the Force.

“Good,” Vader rumbled quietly so as not to break Luke’s concentration. “Now, reach out with your senses. Can you feel my presence?”

Luke did as his father said and extended his mind towards the swirling mass of Dark energy that was Vader’s Force presence.

“Yes,” he murmured. He could always feel his father’s Force presence, but the way he was doing it right now made it so much more clear. He could feel Vader’s emotions. And he could even sense just the slightest of the Sith Lord’s surface thoughts.

“And what about now?”

Luke gasped as Vader’s presence was suddenly snapped from him and he clenched his eyes tight at the pain that shot through his mind. He blinked a couple of times, spots painting his vision.

“Nothing,” he whispered, as the pain receded. “I can’t sense you at all.”

“That is what you must learn to do,” Vader rumbled.

Luke nodded and closed his eyes again, sinking his mind back into the Force.

“How do I do it?” he asked.

“You need to become aware of your own presence,” Vader informed him. “Identify in the Force what is yours and what is not. Your anger will help you do this. Focus on it and you will find yourself.”

Luke frowned slightly at those words. They were awfully vague. But he took a deep breath and did what Vader had told him to do anyway. He reached out to his anger and pulled it towards him. It was like fire on ice, light on darkness, swirling with power and tinted with red. Luke inhaled sharply.

“I can see it,” he whispered in awe. And he could. The usual darkness that welcomed him whenever he connected with the Force was now filled with light, like stars in the night sky, powerful and radiant.

“Good. Now pull it towards you,” Vader rumbled. “It is yours, so you must control it.”

Luke bowed his head and did so, calling the glowing swirls of light towards him. Some darkness came with the light, but he let it pass with acceptance. It was his and he needed to control it.

Luke curled his fists slightly. His head was buzzing with pressure and he didn’t know how much longer he could take it. The energy of his Force presence seemed contained within his mind, yet it didn’t want to be there; it wanted to be free - to escape.

Finally, the pressure seemed all too much and Luke gasped, losing his control. His grip on the Force slipped and he heaved deeply, heart racing. He mentally cursed himself for his failure and he tensed as he glanced at Vader, ready for some sort of repercussion.

But he frowned as he sensed Vader’s emotions. His father seemed… proud.

“You did well, Luke,” Vader praised him. “You have much more potential than you realise. It is not easy to shield one’s Force presence, yet you did so almost perfectly on your first try.”

“It didn’t last very long, though,” Luke murmured, shifting slightly on the floor where he was seated.

“It didn’t have to,” Vader replied. “You know how to do it now. It will come to you much more easily the next time. And, soon enough, you will do it without even realising.”

Luke nodded, looking down and twisting his hands in his lap. His head was still spinning from the effort of holding the shield, so he wasn’t quite sure if he wanted to try again straight away.

Instead, he asked, “Why isn’t your presence always shielded?”

“Because it doesn’t have to be,” Vader replied, pacing slightly in front of Luke. “The Emperor is familiar with my presence and trusts that he will be able to read it anytime he likes.”

“So, he can read your thoughts whenever he pleases?” Luke asked, frowning. What would be the point of him learning to shield if the Emperor could dig their secrets from Vader’s mind at any time?

“Only what I leave open to him,” Vader explained, his mechanical breathing hissing softly in the silence. “You can compartmentalise your thoughts and your presence - leave some parts open and some parts closed.” Vader stopped to give him a thoughtful look before continuing, “In fact, you should learn to do the same. The Emperor will expect to be able to get some sort of reading from you, so you must give him that. But keep it minimal. Your skills and powers must be kept a secret for both our sakes.”

Luke nodded in understanding.

“So, I leave only a small part of my presence unshielded?” he asked, just to clarify. It made sense, but it sounded difficult. How was he supposed to tell what parts of his Force presence should be kept open and what parts should be kept secret?

“Yes,” Vader answered. “In essence, it should appear to him as if you are weak in the Force and have no true potential.”

“But how do I do that?” Luke asked earnestly.

“It will come with practice, Luke,” his father responded. “And with control. Soon you will be able to recognise the different parts of your presence and understand how they fit together. You will be able to shield what you wish and leave the rest open.”

Luke sighed. That wasn’t very helpful, but he just had to have faith that he’d be able to figure it out in time.

He tried sinking his mind back into the Force again, but the buzzing pressure was still there and he slipped back to reality a moment later. He gritted his teeth and stood up, straightening his pristine uniform as he did so.

Luke paced a couple of steps before a thought came to him and he stopped, turning to look at Vader.

“My connection to the Force…” he began, unsure of how to phrase what he wanted to say. “Since the, uh… incident... it seems stronger. Reinforced, almost. Why?”

Vader nodded slowly.

“You are well attuned with the Force,” he rumbled, and once again Luke could sense that his father was proud. He wasn’t quite sure how that made him feel, though. “When I healed you after you shot yourself, my power connected with yours. And it seems it left it’s mark.”

Luke rubbed at his face and then ran a hand through his messy hair.

“So, it’s the Dark Side that I’m feeling?” he asked. His stomach tightened at the thought, although he wasn’t sure whether it was from excitement or nerves.

“The Dark Side is your ally now, Luke. It will always be with you. You must accept that.”

Luke nodded, and this time it was definitely nerves that tightened his stomach as he said, “Thank you for saving me.”

Vader stiffened slightly, but gave Luke a short nod. And, thankfully, the awkward silence that followed was swiftly broken by the sound of the doors sliding open with a _whoosh_.

Luke turned around to look at the newcomer and his jaw hardened as he noticed who it was.

“Lord Vader,” Piett greeted from the doorway, refusing to look at Luke entirely.

“What is it, Admiral?” Vader asked.

Piett stepped into the room and the doors slid closed behind him.

“Our spy on Home One has made contact, my Lord,” Piett began, although he hesitated, shooting Luke a glance.

“You may speak freely in front of my apprentice, Admiral,” Vader rumbled.

Piett looked back at Vader and shifted slightly, obviously not quite comfortable with the idea of communicating such important information in front of an ex-Rebel. However, he raised his chin and continued, “A small band of Rebels have set off on a mission to Tatooine, presumably to rescue the smuggler.”

Luke felt his insides freeze. So, Lando and Chewie had located Han... which meant that Leia was now embarking on her mission to free their friend from the carbonite. Although how they were going to do that without him, he wasn’t sure.

Piett shot Luke another glance.

“Our spy acquired this information a number of hours ago but was unable to make contact until now, so it is likely that the Rebels have already made it to the planet,” the Admiral continued. “Do you want us to set up a blockade to prevent them from escaping?”

Luke instantly turned his gaze on Vader, shooting his father a warning look. By their agreement, Han and Leia were not to be harmed unless he disobeyed Vader’s orders. Whilst he hadn’t been the most compliant student, he _had_ done everything the Sith Lord had asked of him to date.

Although, it seemed that Luke didn’t need to remind his father about the deal, for Vader responded instantly with, “No, Admiral. Let them pass.”

Piett looked significantly taken aback, although his initial shock turned almost instantly into a frown as he looked at Luke again. Luke kept his face neutral, sensing that the Admiral was suspecting him of having some responsibility for Vader’s unusual response.

Piett turned his head back to Vader and said, “My Lord, this is a prime opportunity to capture the princess and the smuggler. They could lead us to the Alliance.”

“No, Admiral,” Vader growled, anger clear in his voice. “The time is not right. Track their exit trajectory, if you will, but it is likely that they will make multiple jumps before they return to Home One.”

Piett gritted his teeth slightly, but nodded and replied with a short, “Yes, my Lord.”

“Has our spy managed to come up with a location yet?” Vader asked.

Luke frowned slightly, trying to keep up with the conversation. Were they talking about the location of the Alliance? Or something else? If it was the Alliance they were speaking of, then what had caused the Empire to lose their location? They had certainly seemed to know all of the details on the Alliance before that attack over Endor. So, what had happened since?

“Not yet, my Lord,” Piett responded. “The Alliance is still on the run and their location is being kept exceptionally quiet.”

Well, there was his answer. Luke felt inwardly relieved at the news that the Alliance was successfully evading the Empire. He wasn’t sure how they were managing it, but one thing was for certain: if the Empire didn’t know where the Alliance was, then Vader couldn’t send him on any missions to attack them. He hoped inwardly that this would continue to be the case.

“Very well, Admiral,” Vader said, his voice low. “Is that all?”

“Yes, my Lord,” Piett replied, bowing his head slightly. He shot Luke one last glance, before turning and leaving the room.

Luke watched the doors slide closed and then turned to look at Vader, wondering whether he could push his luck with the question asking. He chewed on his lip for a moment and then decided to give it a try.

“How do you get all this intel?” he asked, keeping his senses tuned into Vader’s Force presence, just to make sure he didn’t push too far and anger his father any further.

“I have spies aboard Home One,” Vader replied simply, turning away from Luke and moving over to the desk where Luke had been seated earlier.

“Well, I figured that much,” Luke responded, struggling to keep the sarcasm out of his voice. “But who is it?”

Vader paused and turned to give Luke a look that gave the same feeling as a raised eyebrow.

“Speaking of spies,” Vader began, clearly electing to ignore Luke’s question about the identity of the spy, “I believe we have some on board the Executor.”

Luke crossed his arms and raised his eyebrows a little, giving Vader the same attitude in return.

“If you expect me to tell you who they are, then you are gravely mistaken,” he said, secretly trying to throw up a mental shield in case Vader attempted to search his mind for the information. However, the buzzing pressure was still there and so his attempts didn’t last very long. Luke narrowed his eyes and squared his shoulders, determined not to give any Alliance intel away.

“You forget where your allegiance lies now, Luke,” Vader responded, mechanical tones echoing throughout the room.

“My allegiance lies nowhere until you accept me as your apprentice,” Luke responded coldly. If Vader wasn’t going to entrust him with Imperial information, then he certainly wasn’t going to entrust any Alliance intel to Vader.

The Sith Lord gave him a quick once over before turning his attention back to the desk and the drawer he was currently searching.

“But if you do become my apprentice,” Vader rumbled smugly, back still turned to Luke, “your name will become quite well known aboard this ship. You don’t want that information falling into the hands of the Alliance, do you?”

Luke glared at Vader, although it was a mask for the cold feeling of concern that was now spreading through his body. If the Alliance found out he was alive and with Vader… Well, then there would be no denying that he truly was a traitor. He looked down slightly, brow creased.

“You needn’t worry about giving me the names, Luke,” Vader rumbled, closing the desk drawer after he pulled out a sleek, black datapad. “I already have them. And I have taken care of most of them myself.”

Luke looked at Vader, confused.

“You knew there were spies on board the whole time?” he asked, choosing to ignore the fact that Vader has supposedly ‘taken care of them’ already.

“I was controlling the intel they sent to the Alliance,” Vader explained simply. “After they managed to steal the plans to the first Death Star, the Rebels became cocky. They believed themselves infallible. I located their spies aboard the Executor and had them monitored. I could have slipped the Alliance fake intel at any time; I could have lead them into a trap and destroyed them.”

“But you didn’t,” Luke stated, understanding the tactics of Vader’s moves, but not why his father hadn’t chosen to act on them. “Why?”

“I had bigger issues to deal with at the time,” Vader replied, extending the datapad towards Luke. “And here is your issue to deal with now.”

Luke took the datapad gingerly and glanced down at it. On the screen was a picture of an Imperial officer, his name and his details. Luke studied the photograph for a moment before a cold feeling of dread spread throughout his body. The officer was a Rebel spy, alright. Luke recognised him.

He glanced up at Vader and swallowed nervously.

“What do you want me to do?” he asked quietly.

“You know what I want you to do.”

 

.

.

.

 

Leia pulled her poncho tight around her as she hurriedly made her way up the steps towards Obi-Wan’s abandoned hut. The suns had just slipped below the horizon and now the temperature was dropping rapidly, the heated wind of earlier now replaced by a bitter breeze.

Leia reached the top of the stairs and turned back to look over the deserted landscape. She had to admit, it really was quite beautiful, although she couldn’t imagine growing up in such a place. Her eyes then fell to the Millennium Falcon parked a couple of hundred of metres away and she sighed quietly before turning back and making her way to the door of Obi-Wan’s old home.

She turned the handle and the door creaked open. She hadn’t expected it to be locked, but it still surprised her that it opened with ease. She pulled a small lamp from her pocket and switched it on as she made her way inside. And her heart almost stopped as she saw the mess that littered the room.

It had been ransacked.

How recent or long ago, she didn’t know. But whoever had done it had had no regard for Obi-Wan’s belongings.

Leia stepped carefully over a broken chair and shone the lamp around the room, her heart beating wildly. What if the person who had ransacked the place had come for the same reason she had - to find C1? She dreaded to think what would happen if the card had fallen into the hands of the Empire…

“Obi-Wan,” she whispered, hoping the old Jedi might hear her from wherever he was right now. “I need your help.”

A slight breeze ruffled the hairs on the back of her neck and she spun around wildly, drawing her blaster. But the sight in front of her and the feeling that the Force gave her made her lower her weapon immediately.

Leia moved slowly towards the table in the middle of the next room, which was illuminated by a thick beam of moonlight shining in through the open window. She laid her blaster down on the table top and picked up the first object that she saw.

It was a book, old and dusty. It’s spine was cracked and the edges of the pages were dirty. Frowning slightly, but also knowing somehow that this was what she was looking for, Leia carefully opened the book and flicked through the pages.

It seemed to be some sort of ancient Jedi text, although, quite frankly, she had no real knowledge to base that assumption on. The writing was faded and the drawings were slightly smudged. She couldn’t understand any of it.

Finally, she flipped to the end of the book and it closed with a soft _thud_. Leia frowned. The card had to be there somewhere - the Force was telling her so. But _where_? She held the book up in front of her and examined it carefully, turning it over and over in her hands.

It took her almost a minute to find what she was looking for.

Leia smiled softly as she opened the back cover, which was more thickly bound than the front cover. She lifted her lamp and glanced around the room for something sharp. A glint of silver caught her eye and, soon enough, she was cutting into the back of the ancient text with a small, deadly looking knife.

After a great deal of effort, the leather binding on the inside of the back cover came free.

And so did a small data card.

Leia eagerly turned the card over and, sure enough, it was labelled ‘C1’. She placed her lamp on the table and fished her own data card out of her pocket.

The cards glinted wickedly in the moonlight as she held them up in front of her face.

C1 and C2.

The keys to Project Cataclysm.

 

.

.

.

 

“Officer Hardy,” Luke said as he approached one of the tech stations.

The officer - no, the Rebel spy - looked up as he heard his name and his eyes widened considerably as he looked at Luke, recognition evident in his momentary shock. Luke tightened his jaw and pushed all his emotions away as he looked down at the ‘officer’.

“Sir?” Hardy asked, blinking away his shock and plastering a neutral expression on his face. Luke could sense the Rebel’s wariness and confusion, yet he could also sense hope. Obviously, the man had heard the news from the holonet that Luke Skywalker was dead and a traitor, yet the fact that Luke was standing right in front of the him was making him reconsider those facts. But, worst of all, it seemed that the man trusted him. Luke’s stomach tightened. He would have much prefered it if the spy had been one of the ones who had wholeheartedly believed him to be a traitor. It would have made this situation a whole lot easier.

“‘My Lord’,” Luke corrected stiffly, his emotions safely locked away for the moment. “You have been relieved of your post, officer. Come with me.” Luke turned and began walking away from the tech station.

“Yes, my Lord,” the officer responded quickly as he got up from his seat and fell into step beside Luke. The emotions that the man was giving off now were so mixed that Luke felt inwardly sick the instant he tried to read them.

It didn’t take him long, however, to find out how the man was taking the situation; the moment they exited the room and stepped out into the large, grey corridor, the Rebel whispered in a low voice, “What’s the plan, Commander?” He obviously thought Luke was going to get them out of here somehow.

Luke glanced at the man out of the corner of his eye, but did not respond. Instead, he kept on walking down the corridor, intent on reaching his destination before he had to speak to the Rebel.

But they hadn’t even travelled another ten metres before the Rebel spoke again.

“You know, I thought you were dead,” he commented in a low voice, keeping his eyes fixed on the path they were taking.

Luke’s bones chilled at the statement and a strong feeling of guilt washed over him, although he quickly pushed it away.

“I wish I was,” he murmured quietly, unsure as to whether the Rebel could hear him or not. “ _You’ll_ wish I was.”

It seemed that the Rebel _could_ hear him, for the spy frowned at those words and a sharp flicker in the Force indicated to Luke that the man was suddenly cautious - and a little afraid. He seemed to give Luke a once over and then slowed his pace noticeably. Luke sighed quietly and adjusted his pace to match, forcibly pushing his emotions away. Did the Rebel have to do this _now_? They weren’t far from their destination…

“You know, they said you were a traitor,” the Rebel said, brow creased as he looked at Luke.

“Did they?” Luke asked, keeping his expression neutral.

“Yeah,” the spy trailed off quietly. His expression was thoughtful for a moment, before it suddenly sharpened and he regarded Luke with narrowed eyes. “How exactly did you manage to earn the title ‘my Lord’?” he asked slowly, stopping walking completely.

Luke sighed sharply and came to a halt as well. He looked at the ground for a moment, before turning and raising his eyebrows at the Rebel.

“How do you think I managed it?” he asked, his tone much colder than he had intended.

The Rebel stared at him in concerned silence, taking in the dark uniform and the hard stare.

“You wouldn’t…” he whispered, shaking his head slightly in disbelief and taking a step back.

“Wouldn’t what?” Luke pressed, taking a step forward. His heart rate was picking up now and he could feel the Force quiver around him in anticipation.

“Betray the Alliance,” the Rebel answered, fear now evident in his eyes as he backed away from Luke - and right into a wall. He was cornered.

Luke smirked and stepped towards the Rebel, reaching behind him as he did so to remove the vibroblade his father had given him from his belt. He knew he shouldn’t be enjoying this, but he was too caught up in the moment and _oh_ how he _loved_ the feel of the Dark Side swirling around him.

Luke kept the vibroblade hidden behind his back as he came to a stop, mere centimetres from the Rebel.

“I’m not the traitor,” he whispered, blue eyes glinting wickedly. “You are.”

“Why are you doing this?” the Rebel whispered shakily.

“I’m doing this for my friends,” Luke growled, immediately defensive. “I’m doing this to protect them.”

The Rebel shook his head sadly. “They wouldn’t want this.”

Luke’s grip on the Dark Side slipped a little as a strong wave of guilt washed over him at the thought of Han and Leia. _What would they think of him?_ No. It didn’t matter. He closed his eyes and shook his head, trying to push the thoughts away. But they kept coming back, stronger and stronger each time, more vivid and more overwhelming until suddenly Luke couldn’t take it anymore and he yelled out in anguish.

A sharp sensation suddenly flickered through his mind and he opened his eyes slowly to find the Rebel staring at him, a shocked expression on his pale face. Luke took a couple of deep, steadying breaths and then looked down.

And his breathing hitched at the sight of his vibroblade embedded deep within the Rebel’s stomach.

Luke let go of the handle and took a couple of shaky steps back. The Rebel slid slowly to the floor, Force presence flickering out, and Luke stared down at the now lifeless body, his chest rising and falling rapidly. This was the second death he had caused in two days…And he had to admit, it felt good.

Luke took another couple of steadying breaths before he wiped his bloodstained hands on his pants and motioned for the guards at the end of the hallway to remove the body.

“You were right,” he whispered to the Rebel’s corpse as the guards slowly approached. “My friends wouldn’t want this. But my father does. And I’m doing this for him.”


	11. Chapter 11

Lando peered around the corner and pulled his blaster from its holster, thumbing the switch to kill. His eyes skimmed over the empty docking bay, although it wasn’t really empty. At least twenty of Jabba’s mercenaries were hidden around the perimeter, weapons primed and ready for action. He had been surprised that his tip-off about the oncoming attack on the spice shipment had worked, but then again, the Hutts would go to any lengths to protect the likes of glitterstim—hell, _anyone_ would—so he supposed it wasn’t completely shocking that Jabba had fallen for the trick.

Lando watched quietly as one of Jabba’s representatives stepped forward into the docking area. The Hutt himself wasn’t present right now, although Lando knew that the space gangster was lingering somewhere close by to the docking bay, no doubt waiting to deal with the supposed attackers once his mercenaries brought them down. Lando gritted his teeth slightly as he heard the whine of a ship’s engines approaching and he ducked back into his hiding place. He just hoped Leia’s team knew what they were doing. They couldn’t risk letting Jabba find out that the Alliance was involved in the attack. They didn’t need another war on their hands.

Soon enough, a shadow passed over the sandy docking bay floor and Lando looked up to see a dull, bulky transport lowering itself down into the docking area on its repulsors. It touched down moments later and Lando peeked around the corner again. Off to the side, Jabba’s representative was shifting nervously on his feet. Lando didn’t blame him for being anxious; they all knew an attack was coming and that meant that people were going to get hurt—and being right out in the open didn’t exactly help one’s chances at avoiding a laser blast.

The representative stepped forward as the transport’s cabin depressurised with a soft hiss, visibly pushing down his nerves as he did so. Well, at least the man had guts, Lando thought grimly. Too bad it wouldn’t save him. Lando lifted his blaster up and locked his sights onto the representative’s large head. He laid his finger on the trigger but didn’t pull it just yet. He could only start taking out targets during the firefight. That way, everyone would be too busy to realise that he wasn’t actually on Jabba’s side.

The door of the transport began to open and Lando gritted his teeth slightly as he heard the whine of another engine approaching rapidly. Leia’s team was here. He re-checked his aim and pressed down on the trigger slightly, watching as the representative turned to look at the approaching ships, eyes widening with fear. Lando gave himself a three second countdown and then pulled the trigger.

Or he would have if a sudden burst of green laser bolts hadn’t forced him to duck for cover as they spattered wildly across the docking bay floor in front of him. Lando cursed sharply and peered out again as the ships came around for another pass, green turbo lasers firing. He swore again at the sight of them, stomach tightening with dread.

TIE fighters. Two of them.

How the _hell_ had the Empire found out about this?

Lando ducked behind a crate as the docking bay erupted in a burst of blaster fire and pulled out his commlink, frantically entering in Leia’s comm code as he did so. He snapped off a couple of random shots at the enemy TIEs and then brought the commlink to his mouth as soon as it connected.

"Princess, we've got trouble," he hissed as he ducked for cover once again. "Imperial fighters. Somehow the Empire must've found out about our little ruse. Tell your team to turn back, get Han and get out of there now!"

There was a sharp crackle of static and then what seemed to be a short muffled conversation, before Leia responded.

"No, it's okay, Lando," she said, voice warped slightly by the static. "They're ours."

"What?" Lando hissed sharply as he glanced out again at the TIEs, which were now joined by two unmarked fighters, all spewing laser blasts onto the sandy pavement below. "How'd you manage that?"

"It doesn't matter," came Leia's swift response. "Just make sure you get on one of them before they leave—and don't get killed in the process!"

"Sounds easy," Lando replied drily. He snapped off a couple more shots, only this time he made targets out of Jabba's mercenaries rather than the fighters swooping over the docking bay. "Don't you think it's a little risky stealing two TIEs?"

"It's fine," Leia brushed off quickly, her voice now reduced to a whisper. "I have to go. Keep them occupied."

"Will do," Lando assured her as he fired twice at the closest mercenary. The Rodian fell to the floor in a heap, smoke rising from the charred hole in his chest.

"Be safe," he added, but he was too late; Leia had disconnected already. He sighed sharply and shoved the commlink back in his pocket, glancing at the docking bay entrance as he did so. More of Jabba's mercenaries were rushing in through the door, blasters firing at the ships above. Lando raised his blaster and took aim at the closest one.

"This had better work," he murmured grimly as he pulled the trigger.

 

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.

 

Leia stepped quickly down the spiral staircase, keeping her footing light on the cold, sandy stones. Her gloved hand skimmed the cool, rounded walls as she moved swiftly downwards, wondering just how much further she had to go. Her breathing was already laboured from the climb up the outside of the main tower and it was growing even more ragged by the second. But she didn’t even consider stopping to take a break. She didn’t have the time. And, more importantly, Han was waiting for her.

Luckily, there were only a few more turns of the spiral staircase left and Leia’s hand slid to her blaster as she reached the bottom. She edged along the wall, making sure to keep in the shadows and then peered out around the corner. Her grip on her blaster loosened slightly as she took in the sight in front of her.

It seemed her diversion had worked magnificently. Not a single one of Jabba’s followers were to be found in the large audience chamber that lay in front of her. She let a small smile cross her face—one which grew even wider as she caught sight of a large, familiar chunk of carbonite.

Han.  
  
Leia hurried forwards, her eyes never leaving her trapped lover. Her breath quickened and her heart fluttered in her chest. Oh, it felt so good to see his face again, even if it was frozen in a heartbreaking expression of agony.  
  
She stepped up onto the dais and paused in front of the carbonite block, shivering slightly in the eerie silence that lingered over Jabba’s palace. She trailed her hand slowly down Han's chest, a small chill running through her fingertips at the touch. Then, she turned and started flipping the control dials on the side of the carbonite block, all the while keeping an ear out for any disturbances in the palace that might indicate any unwanted company.  
  
Leia took a deep breath as she turned the final knob and stepped back to watch as the carbonite glowed golden around Han's frozen form. There was a soft hiss as the compound turned gaseous once more and Han, now unsupported, fell heavily to the floor.  
  
Leia was at his side in an instant. She wrapped an arm around his chest and rolled him over, supporting his upper body as he regained consciousness.  
  
"I can't see," were his first words, and Leia's heart skipped a beat at hearing his voice again, even if it was cracked and dry from the carbonite hibernation. Oh, how she had missed him.  
  
"It's okay," she whispered, gently stroking his damp, messy hair out of his face. "You have hibernation sickness. Your eyesight will return but it might take some time."  
  
"L... Leia?" Han whispered, voice, and body, trembling. His hand reached blindly up to touch her face and she couldn't help herself any longer. She didn't even reply. She didn't need to—the deep, passionate kiss she gave him was answer enough.  
  
She pulled away after a moment and smiled at him.  
  
"You don't know how much I've missed you," she whispered, not quite managing to contain a sob as she remembered the terrible events of the past few weeks...  
  
Han frowned instantly. "What's wrong?" he asked, trailing his hand softly down the side of her face.  
  
Leia swallowed and shook her head. Then, remembering that Han couldn't see, she murmured quietly, "Nothing."  
  
"Leia..." Han's voice was laced with concern.  
  
"We can discuss it later," she replied quickly, taking a deep breath and pulling herself together. "Right now, we have to get out of here."  
  
She wrapped her arms around Han and began pulling him up. But she froze a second later, a swift nudge from the Force the only warning she had as a cold, hard object was pressed to the back of her head.  
  
The barrel of a blaster.  
  
"Not so fast," came a cold, smug voice.  
  
Han tensed and Leia cursed inwardly at her stupidity for not paying more attention to her surroundings.  
  
"You're not going anywhere, Princess."

  
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.

  
  
Luke ran a hand through his not-quite-neat hair as he moved swiftly down the grey corridor of the Executor. The hallway was pretty sparse at this early hour, although the few officers and techs that were present still stepped out of his way as he passed. It seemed that his position on the command ship was becoming quite well known.  
  
Luke paused briefly at the junction of four hallways and quickly ran over the directions that Vader had given him in his head, before turning and taking the left passage. This hallway was completely empty and Luke eagerly took advantage of that fact. He yawned softly and dropped the rigid, Imperial-like posture that he was getting used to wearing as he moved throughout the command ship.  
  
Luke turned down another corridor and yawned again. His body was still weary from the torture and strains of the past few weeks—not to mention from the severe lack of sleep—but today he was feeling particularly refreshed, or at least more refreshed than he had been in a long time. He had actually slept last night, which was almost a miracle—and also a bit concerning—considering the events of yesterday had lead to him murdering a Rebel spy.  
  
Luke slowed as he reached his destination: a basic, grey door at the end of the corridor. He straightened his black uniform and quickly ran his hand through his hair again before he pressed the door release and stepped into the room.  
  
"You are on time, for once," Vader commented, turning around to face Luke from where he stood at the end of the large, sparse room.  
  
"Yes, father," Luke replied, struggling not to make a snarky reply. The door slid closed behind him and he waited patiently for Vader to announce the latest test.

The Sith Lord studied him for a moment and then strode slowly forward, extending, as he did so, his hand and... a lightsaber hilt. Luke stared at it in silence for a moment and then looked up at his father's black mask.

"Today we will continue your mental shielding," Vader rumbled. "Only this time, you will do it while fighting me."

Luke looked at his father with wide eyes and raised eyebrows.

"But I haven't even managed to hold a shield while meditating," he exclaimed incredulously. "How am I supposed to do it while fighting?"

"You must learn quickly if you wish to evade the Emperor's interest," Vader replied darkly as he handed Luke the lightsaber.

Luke turned the hilt over in his hands. It was long and sleek and was weighted nicely. His thumb hovered over the trigger but he couldn't bring himself to press it.

Instead, he looked up at Vader and asked, "Why can't I have my own back?"

He immediately regretted those words, however, because Vader's presence suddenly flickered with a dark anger.

"Remember which path you have chosen, Luke," the Sith Lord growled. “You must leave your previous life behind. First, your friends, and now, your weapon. They will only hold you back otherwise.”

Luke dropped his head instantly and nodded. He should have known better than to ask such a foolish question. Vader was right. If he truly wanted to do this, then he had to leave everything behind. He was trying his best, but it was proving to be extremely difficult—especially when his lightsaber had meant so much to him...

Luke shook his head to clear his thoughts and returned his gaze to the saber in front of him. His heart rate picked up as he trailed his fingers over the hilt and then let them rest on the ignition button.

Would the blade be red?

That was the main question making his head spin right now. The colour of blood and revenge, red lightsabers were the weapon of choice of the Sith and were something that Luke had come to despise over the years of his Jedi training—they always resulted in so much bloodshed. But then again, there was something oddly alluring about wielding such a symbolic and powerful weapon...

Luke snapped the saber on and it ignited with sharp hiss, the colour... white.

Luke frowned, a faint sense of disappointment flickering through his mind as he held the saber aloft in front of him. But he was also extremely curious.

Why would Vader give him such a blade? And why would Vader even have it in the first place?

"It belonged to an old enemy," Vader rumbled, answering Luke's unspoken question. "It is the only blade I have in my possession—besides yours and my own, of course—and since you are not yet worthy of a Sith blade, I figured you could use it for the training sessions."

Luke nodded slowly, but his attention was caught by Vader's Force presence as he spoke. It had flickered with an odd display of emotion at the mention of an old enemy. Luke's brow creased slightly as he looked down at the blade again. There was more to this saber than Vader was letting on, but perhaps that wasn't a question for right now...

Luke snapped the saber off and closed his eyes, sinking his mind into the folds of the Force. He was greeted once again by the dazzling display of his Force presence and he was caught momentarily breathless by the sheer vastness of power that he could feel at his fingertips. He took a deep breath in and began calling his presence towards him, just like how Vader had instructed him to.

But his concentration was suddenly broken as the Force screamed at him and he quickly ducked and rolled. Luke opened his eyes as he brought himself up into a low crouch, frantically searching for the source of danger.

“Do not lower your defences,” Vader growled, his red lightsaber humming dangerously at his side. Luke gaped for a second, confused by the sudden disruption of his thoughts, before it clicked. Vader had tried to attack him.

“You didn’t even give me a chance to prepare!” he exclaimed.

“There will be no chances with the Emperor. Now, _weapon on and shields up_.”

Luke gritted his teeth and ignited his saber as he rose into a defensive position. He reached out into the Force again—this time keeping both eyes locked securely on Vader—and began calling his presence towards him once again.

But Vader didn’t give him nearly as long this time.

There was a sharp _whoosh_ as Vader’s lightsaber swung towards him and Luke was forced to drop his connection to the Force yet again as he brought his weapon up to deflect the attack. Another two strikes of the red blade and he was on the ground, caught off balance by the sheer force of Vader’s attacks.

But Vader didn’t even give him a chance to catch his breath. Luke’s eyes widened and he rolled quickly to the side as the red blade slashed at his neck. He missed it by an inch.

Luke scrambled backwards and onto his feet, his breath heaving as he raised his saber in front of him again.

“Perhaps I overestimated you,” Vader growled, moving swiftly forwards to land another three blows to Luke’s lightsaber.

Luke stumbled under the force of the attacks but managed to keep his footing this time. His vision darkened slightly at the edges and he shook his head to shake the fatigue that was creeping into his mind. After two weeks of being unconscious and hours of rigorous torture, it seemed he had quite lost his stamina.

He ducked and rolled again as Vader lashed out at his torso.

“Your fighting is sloppy and you still haven’t managed to produce a shield,” Vader growled, stalking forwards as Luke backed away slowly in an attempt to regain his breath. “Perhaps I should just hand you to the Emperor myself.”

“No,” Luke breathed out as he tightened his grip on the saber. “I can do this. I am worthy of becoming your apprentice.”

“Then prove it!”

Luke launched himself at Vader, landing two swift blows to the Sith’s blade and forcing Vader back a couple of steps. But that was about as far as he made it before he was on the floor again, clenching his jaw in pain as he clutched at the spot on his chest where Vader had landed a short, but powerful, Force push.

“That’s not… fair,” Luke heaved out, awfully winded by the blow. “We were fighting… not... using the Force…”

“The Force is your ally, Luke,” Vader hissed, circling Luke like a predator as he struggled to get to his feet. “But if you don’t use it, it will be your downfall.”

Luke groaned in pain as he pushed himself up off the ground. His chest was aching but he raised his lightsaber again, determined not to give up. His vision swam and he stumbled to the side to catch himself.

“Shields up!” Vader growled.

“I’m trying!”

“Then you’re not trying hard enough!” Vader stalked towards him and Luke backed away slowly, the edges of his vision flickering with shadow. “If you do not succeed at this, Luke, then you will stand no chance against the Emperor.”

Luke gritted his teeth. He knew that. But no matter how hard he tried, he could not draw enough focus to produce a shield. He was just too exhausted.

“The Emperor will not kill you, Luke,” Vader continued. “But he will make you wish you were dead. Do you know how he will do that?”

Luke continued to back away slowly, saber gripped firmly in his hands. He watched his father warily, but made no move to answer him.

“He will make you kill your friends,” Vader hissed, the undertones of his words making Luke shiver.

“No,” was Luke’s instant reply.

“And you’ll do it willingly.”

“ _No_ ,” Luke growled, more firmly this time. He twisted the lightsaber hilt in his hands, clenching his jaw. He would never do that. Never.

“And with the way things are going, I’m almost tempted to make you do it myself.”

“We had a deal!” Luke hissed, anger flaring inside him at Vader’s words.

“Imagine their faces, Luke. Imagine their _screams_ ,” the Sith Lord taunted, drawing ever closer.

“No.” Luke’s breathing was shallow as he placed a step forwards. How dare his father go back on his word like that?

“Imagine the _pleasure_ it would bring you, taking their lives. Imagine how _good_ it would feel.”

“Enough!” Luke screamed, and he launched himself at Vader, lightsaber raised.

The blades clashed with a vicious _hiss_ and Vader smirked behind his mask as the proper duel began.

 

.

.

.

 

“On your feet,” the cold voice growled.

Leia’s pulse was throbbing loudly behind her ears as she looked down at Han. His eyes were wide, but unfocused, and his brows were knitted together.

“ _Now_.”

Leia winced slightly as the barrel of the blaster dug painfully into the back of her skull, but she nodded slowly and began helping Han to his feet.

“I know that voice,” Han murmured as he staggered upright. Leia slung his arm over her shoulder to give him some support but she didn’t dare turn around to face their attacker, for the barrel of the blaster was still resting against the back of her head.

“Did you really think I wouldn’t recognise Calrissian?” the man said, smirk evident in his voice.

“Fett,” Han hissed and Leia gaped slightly as, she too, recognised the voice of the infamous bounty hunter. The last time she had heard it, Han had been snatched from her for a year. Her jaw hardened and she curled her fist slightly. She wasn’t about to let that happen again.

“Why didn’t you tell Jabba it was a trap?” she asked.

“Because he’s a bounty hunter,” Han cut in before Fett could answer. “He only thinks in terms of money. He wants to sell us back to Jabba.”

“Jabba would pay a great price for your heads,” Boba Fett confirmed. “And this time, _just_ your heads.”

Leia shifted uncomfortably. She didn’t like the look of the way this conversation was going.

“Especially once he realises that you’re the ones responsible for the attack today,” Fett continued.

Han frowned at this and Leia felt a chill run through her as she realised the severity of the situation. It wasn’t just her and Han’s lives at stake here. It was the entire Alliance. If Jabba found out that they had been involved in the attack on the spice shipment, then there would be no stopping him from destroying the Alliance once and for all. The Hutts certainly had the power to do so and the Alliance was already losing one war. They wouldn’t last a day if another was forced upon them. She needed to turn this situation their way. And quickly. But how?

“Any last words?” Fett asked, jabbing Leia roughly in the back of the head with his blaster again.

“Now, look, Fett. Just listen to me for a second,” Han sputtered, pointing his finger Fett’s way. “We have powerful friends. We can get you whatever you want.”

“I know what I want, Solo. And that’s you and your pretty little princess dead.”

Leia’s heart fluttered as she realised she only had a couple more seconds to make a move before Fett pulled the trigger. But what could she do? She couldn’t use her blaster. She’d be dead before she even removed it from its holster. Then what? Anything she tried would alert Fett immediately. Unless…

Leia closed her eyes quickly and tried to reach out to the Force. She didn’t know what she was looking for. Heck, she didn’t even know if she was doing this right! But nevertheless, she took a deep breath and focused. Han’s continuous sputters—plays for time—faded away instantly and she inhaled sharply. She could feel the smuggler’s presence glowing warmly beside her and behind her she could sense Fett’s finger pulling down on the trigger...

Frantically, she searched for something—anything—to stop Fett. But then something changed. She could sense something new... A presence that wasn’t there before.

And then suddenly a blaster went off. Leia pushed Han roughly to the side and together they tumbled to the ground, barely missing the laser bolt that sizzled past them as a second shot went off. Leia gasped in pain as her head collided sharply with the ground and she must have blacked out for a second or two because the next thing she knew, a set of footsteps were hurriedly approaching her.

She reached quickly for her blaster but stopped as a new voice rang out through the audience chamber.

“Leia!”

“Skyro?”

“Get up. Quickly. We need to go.”

Leia grabbed the hand that Skyro offered her and pulled herself up off the ground, turning quickly to look at the place where she had stood moments ago. A blackened spot on the wall opposite showed the place where Fett’s blast had hit, and as for the bounty hunter himself… Leia’s eyes slid to the floor where Fett was sprawled out, unmoving.

“Is he…?”

“Stunned,” Skyro answered sharply as he pulled Han to his feet.

“Thank you,” Leia said, quietly.

Skyro glanced at her quickly, but did not respond. Instead, he gave a short response to Han’s question of, “Who are you?”

“I’m a friend of Leia’s. Now let’s get you out of here.”

Skyro slung Han’s arm over his shoulder to give him some support and then began moving back towards the stairwell. Leia frowned as she watched the two men move slowly across the audience chamber floor. It wasn’t like Skyro to ignore a thank you statement, especially from her.

“Come on, Leia,” Skyro called over his shoulder. “The attack won’t go on much longer. We need to leave.”

Leia lingered a moment longer, her brow creasing even further at Skyro’s clipped tones. But then his words sunk in and she stepped forward quickly, momentarily brushing her concerns to the side. In a matter of seconds she was at the base of the stairwell and she turned to give the audience chamber one last look. And instantly her eyes fell on the unconscious bounty hunter.

“Wait!” she called, turning to look at Skyro and Han who had already begun making their way up the stairs. “We can’t leave Fett here.”

“We don’t owe him anything,” Skyro replied, not stopping. “Leave him.”

“No, you don’t understand,” Leia snapped back, a little flare of anger sparking at the cold shoulder she was receiving from the captain. “He knows the Alliance was involved in the attack. We can’t risk him informing Jabba.”

Skyro sighed heavily and came to a stop. He turned around as best he could while still giving Han the support he needed and gave her a look.

“Then what do you suggest we do? Kill him?”

“No,” Leia replied, affronted. “We take him with us and then drop him off somewhere along the way.”

“Like where?”

“I don’t know,” Leia replied, crossing her arms. “In the middle of the desert, perhaps?”

“There’s still the chance that he’ll find his way back and tell Jabba everything,” Skyro pointed out.

“Well, it’s better than leaving him here, giftwrapped and all,” Leia returned, her glare fiery.

Skyro studied her for a moment, jaw tight. Then he replied, “Fine. You take Han. I’ll get the bounty hunter. But if he wakes up and kills us all, then it’s your fault.”

“Fine,” Leia replied stiffly. She moved quickly up the stairs to take over the role of supporting Han, while Skyro went to retrieve the unconscious bounty hunter.

“And I thought I was the only one who could bring out your temper,” Han commented wryly.

Leia shot him a glare despite the fact that he couldn’t see her face and began pulling him up the stairwell. It was time to get out of here.

 

.

.

.

 

Parry. Duck. Swing. Block. Roll. Duck. Parry.

Luke was barely aware of his movements as he duelled fiercely with his father. Anger fuelled his motion and the Force enhanced his reactions. The fatigue of earlier was nowhere to be seen.

Luke pressed Vader back, a new, powerful energy flowing through his body as he fought. He felt stronger, more in control. He could do this. He could beat his father.

Luke lashed out at Vader’s torso with his saber, but before he could make contact he was flying backwards through the air again. Luke growled as he flipped swiftly to land in a crouch, using the Force to control his movements. The white lightsaber hummed fiercely in his hand. It wanted blood. And so did he.

Luke pushed himself forwards with a Force enhanced leap and swiftly landed three strong blows to Vader’s saber, pushing the Sith Lord back a couple of steps. But Vader wasn’t about to back down and Luke barely missed having his head chopped off as Vader’s saber swung by in a swift flash of red light.

Luke ducked and rolled, swinging his blade unsuccessfully at Vader’s feet before he brought himself back up into a fighting position. But Vader was already there, lightsaber swinging towards him and once again, Luke only barely managed to miss the deadly blade. He turned and blocked two more attacks from Vader, but the third pushed him off balance and the fourth caught him on the arm.

Luke cried out in pain and stumbled backwards a couple of steps, clutching at the burning streak across the top of his upper arm. But he barely had time to regain his footing for another attack came from Vader, this one straight at his head. Luke ducked again, but found that the blow to his arm had quite shaken his focus, for there was a sharp _sizzle_ as the very ends of his hair got caught by the blade.

“You could have killed me!” he yelled.

But Vader didn’t reply, nor did he stop. Luke’s eyes widened and his heart fluttered as the red saber swung towards him once again. He brought his own saber up to block the attack but his injured arm twinged painfully and he was knocked backwards off his feet by the force of Vader’s blow. The tip of the red saber was at his throat in an instant.

Luke stared at the glowing blade of the weapon as he laid there, pinned on his back. A wave of fear washed over him. Vader was making no move to withdraw his saber and as the seconds ticked by, Luke could begin to feel his skin warm from the heat of the blade. His gaze flickered up to his father’s black, emotionless mask and his stomach tightened. Was Vader going to kill him? He tried to control his breathing, steady his thoughts, but his eyes kept flickering back to the saber and Vader’s unwavering hand. Was this the end?

But just as that thought passed through his mind, Vader withdrew. Luke breathed out heavily in relief, but the instant he did, his anger simmered back to the surface.

“If you’re planning on killing me,” he snarled, rising to his feet, “then just go ahead and do it.”

He snapped his saber off and tossed it across the room.

“Quit playing with your food.”

And with that, he turned and stalked out of the room.

 

.

.

.

 

The ramp of the Falcon lowered slowly as they staggered closer. Leia squinted against the bright sunlight as she turned and looked behind her. Skyro was a good hundred metres or so away from her, carrying the still unconscious Boba Fett in his arms. It had been difficult climbing down the outside of the main tower, what with one dead weight and another vision-impaired, but they had made it without relative incident. Still, the effort had taken its toll and it was starting to show in all of them.

Leia turned back to Han as they neared the ramp.

“How’s your eyesight?” she asked quietly. “Do you think you can get the Falcon up and running?”

“Should be able to,” Han mumbled, leaning on one of the rampway supports. “I can see a lot better now, really. And besides, I could prep the Falcon in my sleep.”

“Okay,” she said. “You go ahead. I need to talk to Skyro.”

Han looked at her for a moment, a soft frown creasing his brows. Then, he glanced at Skyro. A look passed over his face that Leia couldn’t quite decipher, but it was quickly replaced by a neutral expression.

“Okay,” he replied simply.

Leia watched him walk up the rampway and then turned to face Skyro, who was only now arriving at the base of the ramp. He made to move past her, but she stepped in front of his path.

“What’s your problem?” she asked, crossing her arms.

Skyro sighed impatiently. “Leia, we don’t have time for this right now and if you haven’t noticed, I would quite like to be rid of this,” he said, glancing down at the unconscious Fett in his arms.

Leia stepped stiffly to the side.

“Thank you,” Skyro said as he moved passed her and into the Falcon.

Leia followed a step behind, not intending to let Skyro get away that easily. Only once he had secured Fett to the table with a set of binders and completely removed him of weapons did Leia open her mouth to speak again.

“We are grateful for what you did back there,” she said, accenting her words with a sharp raise of her eyebrows. “I hope you realise that. We owe you our lives.”

“Yes, well that wouldn’t have happened if you had listened to me,” Skyro replied, turning to look at her, his expression hard.

“So what? We owe you one. That’s not something to hate me for.”

“I don’t hate you, Leia, but you don’t understand,” Skyro replied, taking a step towards her. “You almost _died_.”

“But I didn’t.”

“But you would have! If I hadn’t disobeyed your orders to remain at the top of the main tower, both you and Han would be dead right now!” He studied her for a moment as he caught his breath. Then he gave a short laugh and shook his head. “But you don’t see it, do you?”

Leia didn’t respond.

“Do you know how I would feel if you died?” he continued. “If Fett had killed you back there and I had been left to deal with the bodies? It’s been bad enough already, Leia. First, Luke and then this! I told you to let me come with you, but you refused without even considering the possibility that your plan had some major flaws. You didn’t even consider what would happen to me if the both of you had been killed! You know, Commander Lears said you needed to pay more attention to the people around you, but what you really need to do is start caring for them,” he finished harshly.

Leia opened her mouth to speak but closed it after she realised she didn’t know what to say.

Skyro pushed past her and moved towards the cockpit, from which Han was just exiting.

“The Falcon’s good to go,” he began, but trailed off as Skyro stalked past him. He looked at Leia, confusion etched on his face. “What’s going on?” he asked.

“Nothing,” Leia snapped as she too moved past Han and into the cockpit.

Han watched her go, feeling thoroughly lost and confused.

 

.

.

.

 

To put it simply, the journey to the rendezvous point was silent and uncomfortable. Right about now, Han was realising that he would rather still be trapped in carbonite than be stuck in the middle of whatever was going on between Leia and the man named Skyro. He narrowed his eyes slightly from his position in the back seat of the cockpit as he stared at the two of them. What _was_ going on between them? He had heard them arguing before, but hadn’t been able to make much sense of it as he had been too focused on prepping the Falcon. Also, he hadn’t really felt that it was his business listening in on their private conversation.

But now he was curious, and just a little concerned. He had been gone for a year, as Leia had shortly explained to him, and a lot could have happened in that time. Leia had refused to give him any more details, but he couldn’t help but wonder… were Leia and Skyro…?

He shook his head. No, that was stupid. The way Leia had kissed him before was proof enough that she still loved him. What was going on between her and Skyro was something different… But he couldn’t figure out what.

“Coming up on the rendezvous point,” Leia said tonelessly. “Prepare for landing.”

Han leaned forward in his seat to get a better look out the viewport. Ahead of them, almost invisible against the endless sea of golden sand, was a small, silver shuttle glinting brightly in the light of the twin suns. Han squinted to get a better look, but his eyesight still wasn’t back to normal so he leaned back in his seat and waited for them to land.

Once the Falcon was safely grounded, Han left the cockpit in a flash, eager to get out of the tense, uncomfortable air. He made his way to the back of the Falcon, stepping quickly past the still unconscious Fett and flicked the button to lower the exit ramp. As much as he loved being back on the Falcon, he couldn’t be more glad to step out into the dry heat of Tatooine.

He lifted his hand to his eyes and turned towards the shuttle. Two figures were approaching him and he smiled as he recognised them through his blurry eyesight.

“Chewie! Lando!”

“Good to see you in one piece, old friend!” Lando said as he pulled Han into a quick hug. “I was worried you might’ve lost a limb or something during the de-freezing process.”

Han laughed quietly but his voice was quickly muffled as Chewie pulled him into a bone crushing hug. The wookie let out a fond roar and began stroking Han’s head.

“I’m alright, pal. I’m alright,” Han mumbled, trying not to get fur in his mouth as the wookie refused to let go of him.

“Chewie, that’s enough,” Lando laughed. “We only just got him back, we don’t want to go suffocating him so soon.”

Chewie growled lightly but released Han after one last ruffle to the head.

Han ran a hand through his hair to sort out the mess Chewie had made as he looked to Lando.

“Skyro mentioned something about an attack,” he said, hoping Lando might be a bit more willing to explain their current situation and why it had been so easy for them to get out of Jabba’s palace. “Did you have anything to do with that?”

“Yeah, we did. We—” Lando began, but he was cut off abruptly by Leia.

“Lando, we have to leave now,” she called from the top of the ramp.

Lando gave her a short nod, then turned to wave a hand at the small crew waiting outside the silver shuttle. He received an acknowledging wave in return and then the crew began piling back onto the transport.

“I guess I’ll just have to tell you all about it on the flight. It’s quite an exciting tale,” Lando said, clapping Han on the back as he turned to make his way up the Falcon’s ramp. Only, he stopped short as he saw Skyro carrying a limp Boba Fett down the walkway.

“What…” Lando murmured, brow creased.

“Yeah, we ran into a bit of trouble ourselves,” Han explained as he moved past Lando to the base of the ramp.

“You’re just gonna leave him here?” Lando asked as he watched Skyro lay the bounty hunter on the sand, wrists bound.

“Yep.”

Lando stared a moment longer, then shrugged and followed Han up the ramp.

“Well, I can’t say he doesn’t deserve it.”

Chewie roared in agreement.

Han entered the cockpit again and plopped back into his seat. Lando took the seat next to him and Chewie lingered in the doorway. Skyro entered soon after and placed himself in the pilot's chair next to Leia who was working at the controls.

Han gave Skyro a small glare. He hated not being able to fly the Falcon himself, let alone have some stranger do it for him. But Skyro seemed adept enough at piloting and both Leia and Lando trusted him, so Han let it pass. It wasn't like he could actually fly it himself anyway, what with his vision the way it was.

Han turned to Lando.

"So, you gonna tell me what happened or are we gonna sit in silence the whole way?" he asked with a wry grin.

Lando gave a short laugh and then launched into his story.

"TIE fighters?" Han interrupted midway through Lando's explanation. "How exactly did you manage to acquire two of those?"

"It was quite easy, actually," Skyro answered from the front. The tension that had been present earlier had now drained away and all of them seemed to be enjoying recounting the events of the day. "Prior to this, I was assigned to a scout group. We were stationed on Tatooine for a month and half, which gave us plenty of time to explore the region, including the local Imperial outpost. When Leia asked for ships, I knew instantly we could acquire two TIEs without difficulty. It was actually the other two ships—the unmarked fighters—that were the hardest to obtain. But we managed it in the end."

Han leaned back in his chair.

"And then you used them to attack a Hutt shipment—one that was carrying glitterstim?" he asked.

Lando nodded. "We barely made it out of there," he explained. "Jabba's mercenaries put up quite a fight and even with Skyro's crew being the excellent shots that they are, we were soon outmatched. I got on one of the ships and we were out of there in no time. We dumped the TIEs and the fighters and then took the shuttle to the rendezvous point. And, well, here we are."

"And the spice shipment?"

"Destroyed," Lando said with a wicked grin. "Chewie landed a devastating shot to the transport's engine as we were leaving. The whole docking bay went up in flames. You should have seen it. It was spectacular."

Han shook his head incredulously.

"That is one crazy plan," he said, grinning. "It's got Luke written all over it."

"Actually, it was my plan," Leia said, not looking at him.

"Well, that's even worse," he commented wryly. "It seems the kid's been rubbing off on you."

No one replied to that and Han frowned as he only now noticed the odd silence that had filled the cabin at the mention of Luke.

"Speaking of the kid, where is he?" Han asked, a strange flicker of concern spreading through his stomach.

The feeling doubled when no one replied yet again. Han shifted to the edge of his seat, suddenly more alert than he had been throughout the entire journey.

"Where is he?" he asked again, looking around at each of them. But none of them replied. And none of them would even look at him. "Where's my best friend?"

There was a moment's silence before Leia responded. Her voice was so quiet that Han could hardly hear her and it trembled ever so slightly as she spoke.

"Han, Luke's dead."

Han stared at her blankly.

"What?" he whispered. Surely he had misheard her. Luke couldn't be dead... Could he?

"Vader killed him, Han. I couldn't save him. He's dead."

Leia was full on sobbing by this point, but she still wouldn't look at him. Neither would anyone else.

Han shook his head. "No," he said slowly. "That's not possible. He can't be dead. Luke can't be dead..."

But the way everyone was acting all but confirmed it. Han gazed numbly around at them all, not knowing what to do, what to think.

After a few more minutes of silence, he got up and left the cockpit, his vision blurred, but not from hibernation sickness.

 

.

.

.

 

The command crew snapped to attention as Luke stalked onto the bridge of the Executor, still fuming from his fight with Vader. They watched him move down the runway with wary eyes, sensing that today would not be a good day to make a mistake. And that was certainly true, for Luke had made two kills in two days and he was quite eager to make it a third.

“Nothing to report, my Lord,” Piett piped up from the corner where he was examining a screen with a number of techs.

Luke gave him an acknowledging look, then turned to look out the viewport. All that lay beyond him was black, empty space. Only a few small dots of white indicated that there was any life out there in the void. Luke breathed in deeply, then exhaled.

His upper arm was still stinging from where Vader had cut it with the lightsaber, but the pain was receding quickly now and soon it wouldn’t even bother him. He curled his fist slightly and breathed in again. He didn’t like how quickly he could lose his temper, but then again he did. It made him more powerful. It made him stronger. This truly was the Dark Side. And it felt good.

A soft _whoosh_ from behind made Luke turn around and instantly his gaze hardened. Vader stalked up the runway towards him, black cloak billowing behind him as he walked. Luke clenched his jaw and turned his gaze on the bridge doors that were now sliding closed. He didn’t want anything to do with Vader right now, so he stepped forward and began walking towards the doors.

“Luke,” said Vader in his dark tones as he approached, but Luke ignored him, brushing past him with a slight bump to the shoulder.

“ _Luke_ ,” Vader said again, turning around and catching Luke by the arm before he could go any further. Luke hissed as his arm twinged painfully and he shot a glare at Vader.

“You should get that looked at,” Vader commented lowly.

“It’s fine,” Luke grit out, roughly jerking his arm free of Vader’s grip. Then, he turned and began walking towards the doors again.

“Luke—” Vader started with a growl, but he was cut off by a short exclamation from Piett.

“My Lords!”

“What is it, Admiral?” Vader hissed, turning his gaze on Piett who was approaching them quickly.

Luke sighed and reluctantly turned around to listen.

“We have just received a transmission from Tatooine, my Lord,” Piett said, keeping his gaze firmly locked on Vader. “A Hutt shipment was attacked earlier today.”

“I have no interest in the Hutts, Admiral.”

“Yes, but,” the Admiral stuttered, his gaze now flickering a bit. “They’re blaming us, my Lord. Apparently two TIE fighters were involved in the attack.”

“What?” Vader growled.

“It is true, my Lord. I have checked. Two TIEs were stolen from the local outpost earlier and they still haven’t been found. It must have been the Rebels.”

“Have you informed Jabba of this?” Vader asked.

“Yes, my Lord,” Piett responded quickly. “Although he does not believe me. And he is threatening war if we do not reimburse them for their losses.”

“Their losses are not my concern, Admiral. If they cannot protect their own shipments then it is their problem. Tell Jabba again.”

“Yes, my Lord.” Piett nodded shortly, before returning to the tech station where he began conversing quietly with the crewers surrounding it. Vader followed slowly, but Luke remained where he stood by the door.

As much as he wanted to leave, any news about Tatooine intrigued him excessively. Especially since Leia was said to have returned to the planet to rescue Han. Was it them who had stolen the TIEs? Was it them who had attacked the Hutt shipment? If it was, then there was a serious chance they were dead. After all, no Hutt would take to losing a shipment lightly. Luke shifted nervously on his feet.

Across the room, Piett turned to look up at Vader.

“Jabba remains firm in his beliefs, my Lord.”

“Very well, Admiral,” Vader said. “Inform him that I will send a representative to the planet.”

“My Lord?” Piett questioned, a frown creasing his brows. “You’re not seriously considering repaying him, are you?”

“No, Admiral, but he does not need to know that,” Vader said as he began moving away from the tech station and towards Luke.

“Of course, my Lord,” Piett responded with an acknowledging nod before he turned around to execute his orders.

Luke’s eyes flickered up from the Admiral to the now quickly approaching Sith Lord. HIs gaze hardened but he did not move.

“I have a task for you, apprentice,” Vader rumbled, coming to a stop in front of Luke.

Luke raised his chin and responded with a short, “My Lord?”

“But first I wish to congratulate you on your performance today.”

Luke frowned at that and his stomach tightened in anger. Was Vader mocking him?

“You produced an excellent shield, although I gather that you are unaware of your success on the matter.”

Luke’s frown loosened and he looked up at Vader in shock. He had produced a shield? He hadn’t even realised. He hadn’t even tried to.

“You will find that things like this will become more natural to you, the more you embrace the Dark Side,” Vader said, and Luke could sense that his father was quite proud of him. “And now I wish to present you with your final test.”

Luke’s heart fluttered in his chest. He had passed the shield training and now there was only one more challenge to face before Vader would accept him as his apprentice. He looked at Vader eagerly.

“I want you to go to Tatooine and convince Jabba that the Empire was not involved in the attack on his shipment.”

“But what if I can’t convince him?” Luke asked, a slight frown on his face. The Hutts could be excessively stubborn and he had heard that not even Jedi mind tricks could make them see beyond their immediate desires.

“I have enough contacts on Tatooine already,” Vader rumbled. “It matters not if I lose one.”

Luke nodded again, a flicker of excitement running through his stomach at the meaning of Vader’s words.

“It will be done, my Lord,” he said, bowing slightly before turning to leave the bridge.

“Oh, and, Luke.”

Luke stopped and turned back to look at Vader.

“You’ll be needing this.”

Luke’s eyes dropped to the object that Vader was holding out to him and his heart skipped a beat. He looked a Vader for a moment, wondering whether he was truly serious. But the Sith Lord made no move to withdraw his hand, so Luke stepped forward and tentatively took the object from him.

“Thank you, my Lord,” he murmured quietly as he gazed down at the black and silver hilt of his father’s lightsaber. “I will not fail you.”


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains strong violence. You have been warned.

The large, intimidating front door of Jabba’s palace began to lift with a deep, echoing creek. Brilliant rays of sunlight spilled into the entryway as the door was hoisted to the ceiling and the hooded figure stepped forward, his long, black cloak lifting up a small cloud of dust as it trailed along the sandy floor. The Gamorrean guards eyed the mysterious figure as he passed but wisely kept their distance. The aura that the guest gave off was neither friendly nor dangerous, just very, very cold.

The figure swept through the dark passages of Jabba’s palace in silence and only slowed his pace as he neared the steps that led to the main audience chamber. He descended slowly, giving his senses time to adjust to the dark air and letting his mind scope out the intricacies of his surroundings. It was early morning on this part of Tatooine, so the audience chamber was silent and still. But it wouldn’t remain that way for long. The figure smirked and moved onwards.

He was already halfway down the steps when his presence was noticed and almost instantly, Bib Fortuna, Jabba’s majordomo, was at his side whispering hurriedly in a heavy mix of Huttese and Basic.

The hooded figure shot Fortuna a glance, but did not stop. “I am here on behalf of Lord Vader,” he said. “And I do not like to be kept waiting. Jabba will see me now.”

[The mighty Jabba is resting and does not wish to be disturbed,] Fortuna replied. [You should come back later. He might be more acquiescent to your pleas.]

This time the figure did stop. He turned to face Fortuna and his voice was low as he spoke.

“I did not come here to plead with Jabba,” he hissed and Fortuna shied back a little. “I have come to settle a misunderstanding on his behalf. Either he will see me now, or none of you will see the light of day again. Do you understand?”

Fortuna sputtered for a moment, wide eyed and trembling. But then the collected facade that must come from having to deal with space gangsters on a daily basis slipped back into place and he squared his shoulders.

[I’m sorry but—]

“You will take me to Jabba _now_ ,” the figure interrupted with a slight wave of his hand.

Fortuna paused for a second, mouth open slightly, then nodded.

[I will take you to Jabba now.]

“You serve your master well,” said the figure as he followed Fortuna down the rest of the stairs and onto the audience chamber floor. “You will surely be rewarded.”

Fortuna nodded. [I will surely be rewarded for my loyalty,] he murmured to himself, a slight smile crossing his lips. Then he stepped up onto the large, ornate dias that was the focus of the room and leaned over to whisper in his master’s earhole.

Meanwhile, the hooded figure slowed to a halt in front of the dais, although his gaze did not lie on the great Hutt sprawled in front of him. Instead, it lingered on the sparse wall to his left where it seemed that something was missing… a prize, perhaps, stolen...

[You push your luck waking me at this hour, representative,] came the booming voice of Jabba the Hutt. The hooded figure dropped his gaze from the wall and slowly turned to look at the Hutt. [I hope, for your sake, that Lord Vader offers great reimbursement.]

“You do not want, or need, reimbursement from the Empire,” the figure replied smoothly.

[I know what it is I want, representative,] Jabba growled. [And it’s one million credits. And if you continue to mock me, it’ll be two million. I’m sure Vader will have your head for that.]

“You desire no reimbursement from the Empire,” the figure repeated, a little more firmly this time. “It is the Rebels that you blame for the attack on your shipment, not the Empire.”

Jabba swelled up angrily at the figure’s insolence and opened his wide, gaping mouth to growl out an execution order—only, something stopped him. A realisation. The Hutt paused for a moment, studying the hooded figure with appraising eyes, then let out a loud, booming laugh. The figure watched in wary silence.

[You attempt to trick my mind,] Jabba boomed in Huttese, his laugh still resounding around the room. [I assure you, it will not work. The Jedi are all but extinct. Vader is the only one left, and you are not him.]

“It will do you no good to underestimate my power—my lineage,” the figure replied darkly.

Jabba laughed again and this time he was joined by the ragged bunch of gangsters that had now awoken and were watching the confrontation with avid interest.

[Your words do not mean anything, representative,] said Jabba. [I need proof. Yet you offer me none. Just like you offer me no proof that it wasn’t the Empire who attacked my shipment.]

“Two TIE fighters were stolen from the local Imperial outpost the night before the attack on your shipment. Check the records yourself.” The figure pulled out a small data card from under his cloak and tossed it on the floor in front of the dais. Jabba didn’t even look at it.

[Records can be faked. What proof do you have that it was the Rebels?]

“I think _you’re_ the one with the proof, Jabba,” the figure replied as he turned again to look at the wall to the left of the dais. “The Empire has no use for a smuggler like Solo. The Alliance used the attack on your shipment as a cover for their rescue of Solo and used the stolen TIEs to implicate the Empire while they were at it. But you already knew that, didn’t you?” The figure turned to face Jabba again. “You’re just playing us for money.”

[The Empire promised me safe and unhindered trade in these parts. They failed and now they must pay.]

“No,” said the figure. “The Empire gave you free reign over the trade routes in this sector and promised no interference with your dealings. They did _not_ promise you security. If you cannot protect your own shipments, then it is your own problem. Lord Vader will not reimburse you for your losses, Jabba. I did not come here to negotiate or bargain. If you will not see reason and withdraw your declaration of war against the Empire, then I am afraid this will be the end of our dealings. You asked for proof of my Jedi lineage, then here it is.”

And from beneath his cloak, the figure pulled out a silver and black lightsaber hilt. The tension in the audience chamber skyrocketed and suddenly twenty blasters were tracked on the hooded figure. But before anyone could fire, Jabba raised his hand.

The Hutt gave another laugh, although this one was nowhere near as loud or booming as the previous ones.

[You are clearly outnumbered, _Jedi_. Even your laser sword will not save you. Perhaps your head on a platter would make Vader reconsider. But then again, perhaps not, for he cares for no one. Either way, I would like to see your face before you die. Show yourself.”

The figure didn’t even hesitate to pull back his hood. The dark, black material gave way to a mop of sandy blond hair and startling blue eyes. Jabba’s eyes widened and a few hushed whispers echoed around the chamber.

[Luke Skywalker,] the Hutt rumbled. [There has been many a rumour circling the space lanes about you. The main one being that you’re dead.]

“And yet here I am,” Luke replied.

[And yet here you are, indeed. Clothed in the garb of an Imperial and doing the bidding of Vader. Quite the unusual position for a hero of the Rebellion to be in, wouldn’t you say?]

“Hardly, considering the second rumour about me is that I’m a traitor.”

[Indeed,] the Hutt rumbled. He studied Luke for a moment and then smiled wickedly. [You should have stayed dead.]

“Oh, I intend to.”

Jabba dropped his hand and all the blasters in the room seemed to go off at once. Luke ducked and spun leftwards, igniting his father's saber with a _snap-hiss_ and letting his cloak slide off his shoulders onto the floor. Red light painted his first two victims as he slashed out at their torsos. They fell to the ground screaming and smoking.

[Kill him!] Jabba roared over the sound of continued blaster fire.

Luke deflected two laser bolts and sent them flying back at the ones who had fired them. He didn't even wait to see if he hit his mark, for the room was in utter chaos and the Force was screaming at him from all sides. He spun around wildly, lightsaber slicing through flesh and bone, and as he ducked to avoid an incoming laser bolt he pulled his vibroblade out of his belt and twisted it into a reverse grip.

Now, doubly armed, it took little more than a minute for the surrounding band of Jabba's cronies to fall or flee. Luke pulled his saber out of the last of them and turned his blade on Jabba. The slug recoiled from the glowing red tip, but his size prevented him from going any further.

The Hutt gave a shaky laugh. [You are a skilled warrior, Skywalker. Perhaps we can come to an agreement.]

"It's too late for that now, Jabba," Luke said, eyes flashing with the glint of excitement that comes from vigorous close combat. "You know I'm alive, and, like I said, I'd prefer it if no one knew that. Dead men tell no tales, Jabba. Well, in this case, dead _Hutts_."

Luke swung his saber back, ready to make the killing blow, but Jabba lifted his hands, sputtering.

[I will withdraw my declaration of war on the Empire!]

"Not good enough."

[And I don't need reimbursement. It was the Rebels who were responsible for the attack on my shipment!]

Luke lowered his saber.

"I'm glad you've seen sense," he said as he switched off the weapon. The great Hutt sighed with relief. "But, unfortunately for you, I do not care for you or for your relations with the Empire."

The red lightsaber blade was back on and at Jabba's throat in a second.

"You don't know how long I've wanted to kill you—wanted to make you pay for the suffering you inflicted on the people of this planet." Luke's breathing was shallow and he was shaking slightly from exertion, yet the hand that held the lightsaber was still. "And now I finally have the power to do it."

[I don't believe you have it within you to kill me.]

Luke raised his eyebrows and shot a quick glance down at the bodies littering the floor.

"Really?"

[You are a Jedi and I am unarmed. Jedi do not commit murder.]

"I am leaving that path behind," Luke said. "In fact, your death will win me a place at Vader's side as his apprentice."

[Then your actions are in vain,] Jabba replied and Luke could tell that he was attempting to play for time. Luke's eyes darted sideways, searching for the Hutt's majordomo. [Vader shares his power with no one.]

Luke shot a glance at Jabba, although he left his senses focused on the surroundings. "He will with his son."

The Hutt's eyes widened, but Luke took no notice for a short warning flickered through the Force and he turned around swiftly and plunged his glowing red blade straight through Bib Fortuna's chest. The majordomo let out a startled, choking gasp and the long, deadly knife he held fell from his hands. Luke watched the light in the Twi'lek's eyes flicker but did not pull the blade out. Instead, he pushed it in further, eliciting a strangled cry from Fortuna.

"I'm afraid you know far too much about me now, Jabba," he whispered as Fortuna's Force presence finally flickered out. He let the body slide off his blade, then turned slowly to face Jabba. The Hutt was positively squirming now and Luke could feel his fear trembling through the Force. He smiled. "It's been a long time coming, so I shall put it off no longer. Finally, the galaxy will be rid of your fiendish cruelty."

Jabba opened his mouth in a cry of protest, but Luke's blade was too fast. The red beam of light sliced straight through the Hutt's neck, separating the bulbous head from the wretched body. Luke switched off his saber and stepped back to look over his work.

It was done. Finally, Jabba the Hutt was dead. Finally, the thousands of innocents that the gangster had tortured and killed had been avenged. Finally, the community could rest easy.

Luke clipped the saber to his belt and slipped his vibroblade back in its sheath. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair—and was surprised to find that his fingers were shaking. He looked downwards and wave of dizziness washed over him. He stumbled sideways and only barely missed the laser bolt that sizzled past his ear.

Luke spun around frantically, senses snapping back to alertness. The few of Jabba's cronies that had fled during the fight had now returned. Luke called his saber swiftly to his hand, igniting it as he did so and blocked the three incoming blaster bolts. Two rebounded back at their firers but the third sizzled into the wall. Luke growled and was about to throw a push at the remaining cronie when the Force screamed at him. But he was too slow to react and suddenly a red hot pain shot through his right hand. He cried out in pain and turned swiftly to slice straight through the person who had tried to sneak up on him. The mercenary's body hit the ground with a soft _thud_ and his head rolled a metre away across the chamber floor.

Luke turned a fiery gaze on the remaining gangster and he didn't even blink as the man crumpled swiftly, the sound of bones splintering echoing throughout the room.

Luke turned his attention to his hand. The laser blast that had hit him had burned straight through the synthetic flesh, leaving a charred hole in the back of his hand. The inner workings of the prosthetic were exposed and Luke grimaced as he carefully pushed what remaining synthflesh existed back into place. He stretched his fingers experimentally. A soft twinge shot up his arm at the movement, but it was bearable.

Luke closed his eyes and breathed in deeply. The dizziness was starting to come back now and he felt so exhausted. He just wanted to return to the Executor and sleep...

No. He had a job to finish. Undoubtedly there would be more of Jabba’s gangsters spread throughout the palace. He couldn’t risk any of them finding out about these events and exposing him to the galaxy. Not yet, at least.

Luke reached out into the Force, reached past his shields and into the surroundings. There were at least twenty sentient beings on the lower floor and a handful spread throughout the towers. Luke opened his eyes and stepped forwards.

He moved throughout the palace swiftly and silently, only igniting his saber to make a killing blow. Screams echoed throughout the passages and the Force went cold with the fear of the dying. Luke was not oblivious to this, but it did not sicken him as it would have a couple of weeks ago. Instead, he relished in it, using the fear of his victims to draw power from the Dark Side.

When the last Force presence flickered out in the palace, Luke exhaled sharply and snapped his saber off. He stood for a moment, breathing deeply, and then suddenly he was bracing himself against a wall. His head was spinning dangerously and his vision was warping at the same time. Luke gasped and shut his eyes.

Pain. Fear. Anger. All those powerful emotions rushed at him through the Force and he was not ready to deflect it. They pushed through him, making his body ice cold and setting his mind on fire.

Luke opened his eyes and looked down at the bodies in front of him. He was back in the main audience chamber, although how he got there he did not know. His breathing was shallow and his body was trembling as his eyes skimmed over the carnage. He had looked over the bodies before, over their twisted and charred forms, yet now it seemed different. Before, he had barely given them a thought, so focused had he been on killing Jabba, but now… Now, the exhilaration of combat and the bloodlust of the Dark Side had worn off and he felt… sick.

Luke raised a shaking hand to his mouth as the reality of his actions sunk in.

_ What had he done? _

His breathing was picking up now and he knew that if he lingered any longer, he would be physically sick. He moved quickly to collect his black cloak from the floor and swung it over his shoulders as he moved past the fallen mercenaries to the main stairs. He paused as he reached the beginning of them and cast one last look back at the devastation. His eyes fell immediately to the decapitated Hutt and, despite the sickening feeling that was quickly overtaking his body, a slight smirk crossed his lips.

Then he lifted his hood and ascended the stairs.

 

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An odd chill passed through Leia’s body as she sat at her desk looking at the two data cards in front of her. She shivered slightly and the chill disappeared quickly; however, it left a strange, hollowing feeling inside her stomach. She rubbed at her tired eyes and pushed the data cards away.

She hated herself for crying about Luke again, but Han’s reaction had just broken her. It was one thing telling it to Lando, who had barely known Luke before his death, but telling it to Han had been almost soul-crushing. Han had known Luke longer than she had and the two of them had formed an almost brotherly relationship over the years. She knew it must have been hard for Han to take in the news. It was hard for all of them. She just wished she could be wrapped up in the smuggler’s arms right now, but he had locked himself in his room the moment they had returned to Home One and had not come out of it since. That had been five hours ago.

Leia brushed her hair out of her face and sighed, looking down again at the two data cards on the desk. She also needed to talk to him about Project Cataclysm. She needed advice—and not from someone who was dead. Han, unlike Obi-Wan, would take a more realistic perspective on the Project, one that was grounded and unbiased. The whole prospect of constructing such a dangerous weapon made her queasy and nervous. Was it really necessary to go to such lengths, as Obi-Wan believed? Or were there better options?

Leia sighed and leaned back in her chair. Hopefully, Han would have some answers for her, but she knew that she couldn’t push all of this information on him right away. He needed to come to terms with Luke’s death first. Still, the threat of an attack from the Empire was growing larger every day. They could only remain hidden for so long; eventually the Empire would find them. And they needed to be prepared for when they did.

Leia’s mind wandered and her eyes glossed over as she stared absently at the data cards. But a sharp knock at the door brought her swiftly out of her thoughts.

Leia turned in her chair, heart-rate picking up as she called, “Come in!”

Was it Han? Had he finally come to see her? Could she finally lose herself and her troubles in his embrace?

Leia stared, wide-eyed, at the doorway, but the doors did not open. She frowned and stood up. Perhaps they hadn’t heard her?

“Come in!” she called again, but still no one entered, so she moved swiftly to the doorway and thumbed the door release. The doors slid open with a soft _whoosh_ and…

No one was there.

Leia frowned. She could have sworn someone had knocked at her door. She stepped out into the white hallway of Home One, looking left and right. The corridor was deserted, yet something told her she hadn’t been wrong. Leia let the doors to her chambers slide closed behind her and moved quickly down the corridor. She turned the corner and there, moving away from her was a young Rebel.

“Excuse me!” she called, a touch of annoyance ringing through in her tones. If this was someone’s idea of a practical joke, it wasn’t a very good one and she did not have the time for it.

The Rebel spun around to face her and Leia’s breath hitched. Blue eyes, blond hair.

“Luke?” she whispered.

“Your Highness?” came the voice of the Rebel, and Leia’s heart fell. She shook her head and blinked, mentally cursing herself. Of course, it wasn’t Luke. Luke was dead, and he wasn’t coming back. Why did her mind have to play such heart-wrenching tricks on her?

She rubbed at her eyes and looked at the Rebel again, and her brow creased lightly. The man wasn’t Luke, but he did look awfully like him. He seemed familiar, too, but she couldn’t quite recall where she had seen him before…

“Princess Leia?” the Rebel asked, his voice laced with concern as he stepped towards her cautiously. “Are you okay?”

Leia blinked slowly. And then it hit her. Arka III! The man was one of the scouts that she had rescued on that fateful day a couple of weeks ago! Even then, she had likened him to Luke.

Leia stared up at the scout for a few more moments, then shook her head, realising that she had been gaping at him wordlessly for the past minute or so.

“I’m sorry. I, um...” she began. “You just look a lot like my friend.”

“Like Commander Skywalker, you mean?” the Rebel asked. His voice was more accented than Luke’s, and also more light, suggesting a youthful innocence that Luke had lost somewhere during the events on Cloud City. Leia still hadn’t figured out why that was.... and she supposed she never would now.

“Yes,” she murmured. Then, remembering why she was out in the hallway, she straightened her posture and pushed all of her nostalgic thoughts to the back of her mind. “Were you the one who knocked at my door?”

“Oh, uh.” The Rebel rubbed the back of his head, looking a little sheepish. “Yeah, I don’t know what I was doing, to be honest. Got lost in thought, you know, and then all of a sudden I’m knocking on the wrong door. I apologise for disturbing you, Your Highness. I wasn’t even sure you were there, so I figured it was best to leave.”

“Oh, okay.”

“Anyway,” the Rebel continued. “My business with the person that I was looking for is quite important, so I should be going. Sorry again for disturbing you.”

“Of course, alright,” Leia said, giving the Rebel an acknowledging nod as he turned around left. She watched him walk down the rest of the corridor, a slight crease in her brow. She didn’t know why, but something was making her feel uncertain about the whole situation. Maybe it was the Force trying to tell her something. _Well, whatever it is, try harder,_ Leia thought with a huff as she turned and headed back to her room. She didn’t like relying on weird vibes and the words of a see-through, old man. She didn’t understand the Force—and she didn’t want to—yet, she was growing stronger with it every second and it was starting to concern her. Why was this happening now? And why to her? The Force was Luke’s thing, not hers.

But she didn’t even get a chance to begin wondering about those questions, for the sight that greeted her when she opened the door to her room made all of her thoughts disappear. Her heart almost jumped out of her chest and her eyes widened. Then she rushed forward quickly, right into the arms of the smuggler.

“Oh, Han,” she breathed, as she embraced him tightly.

“I don’t believe Luke was a traitor,” Han whispered. “I don’t believe it at all.”

As much as she didn’t want to let go of her lover, Leia stepped back quickly to look at Han. His eyes were red—even more so than hers—and his expression was sombre.

“You watched the holovids?” she whispered, and it was more of a statement than a question.

Han nodded. He looked like he was about to say something, but then he shook his head and dropped his gaze. Leia stepped forward again and wrapped her arms around him, resting her head against his chest.

She didn’t know how long they remained that way, but it was a long time before Han finally broke the embrace.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured, not quite meeting her gaze as he stepped back to sit down at the table. “I just… wasn’t expecting it, you know?”

“I know.”

“I thought he’d be there… to rescue me. I thought you’d all be there, and everything would go back to being like the old days. I thought the world couldn’t get any darker.”

Leia laid a comforting hand on his shoulder, knowing that silence was the best response.

Han took a deep breath in and Leia almost couldn’t hear him as he whispered, “Did you hold a funeral?”

“Yes,” she answered, softly. “Although we had no body to bury.”

“Where?”

“Yavin 4. It was only a small ceremony.”

“It’s what Luke would have wanted,” Han murmured, nodding slowly. Then, he brushed at his eyes one last time and ran a hand through his hair. He turned a half-hearted, crooked smile on her. “Any other terrible things happen while I was out?”

Leia could tell Han was still struggling to come to terms with the loss of his friend, but she respected his attempt to move the conversation somewhere lighter. Only, her recent thoughts and concerns all came rushing back as she stopped to think over his question, and it must have showed on her face, for Han’s brow creased instantly.

“What is it? What happened?”

“I have the Force.”

Han’s brows now shot skywards. “ _What_?”

Leia cringed and cursed inwardly. She hadn’t meant to tell him like that, but it had kind of just slipped out without her control.

“I have the Force,” she repeated, trying to keep her demeanour calm as a range of expressions crossed Han’s face. “Like Luke,” she elaborated when he didn’t say anything.

Han still didn’t answer, but this time he stood up and turned away from her, rubbing at his face as he did so.

“Han?” Leia asked, quietly. His silence was beginning to unnerve her.

Finally, he turned around and looked at her.

“And what does that mean?” he asked.

“I…” Leia started, confused. “What do you mean?”

“What I mean is: are you going to go and get delusions of grandeur, just like Luke?” Han answered, his voice tight. “Are you going to run away and learn about the Force? Become a Jedi Knight? Think you’re so infallible that you just hand yourself over to Vader, not once stopping to think about your friends? About me?”

“Han—”

“I can’t lose you, too!” Han shouted, and Leia clamped her mouth shut. He stared at her for a few more moments, eyes glittering, then turned away again. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that about Luke. I just… It’s so hard to think that he’s gone. And now there’s the potential that Vader might get you, too.”

“Vader won’t kill me, Han,” Leia said. “I’m not going to learn about the Force. I don’t want to be a Jedi.”

An odd sort of relief came from saying those words. Her mind had been so muddled with conflicting thoughts over the past few weeks that to finally settle on one stance felt incredibly good. She didn’t want to be a Jedi. Her place was with the Alliance, and she couldn’t just run off to learn about the Force like Luke had. That was not her destiny.

“How did you even realise you’re Force sensitive?” Han asked, quietly.

“Obi-Wan told me.”

“Obi-Wan? But he’s dead!”

“The Jedi have ways of returning through the Force to those who can feel its power,” Leia explained. “And, he wasn’t lying, Han. I _am_ Force sensitive. I’ve been having dreams, feeling things—weird vibes, warnings—and it’s growing stronger every day. It’s a part of me, Han. I can’t change that. But I’m not going to let it change _me_. My place is with the Alliance and I won’t abandon that.”

She felt like she was trying to convince herself more than she was trying to convince Han, but, either way, it felt good to voice her deepest thoughts. She had ground to stand on now. She wouldn’t let this new discovery tear her down. She was stronger than that.

Han sighed as he looked at her, then stepped forward and pulled her into a tight hug.

“Just promise me one thing,” he whispered.

“What’s that?”

“Don’t give me any of that mystical, hocus pocus nonsense,” he said quietly.

Leia laughed softly.

“No, I’m serious,” Han said. “If you ever ‘see’ anything through the Force, or have a feeling about something. I want you to tell me straight away—and don’t feel the need to lie to me about it. I want the truth. No matter how terrible it is, I want you to know that I’m here for you.”

“I promise, Han,” she whispered. “And, thank you.”

She closed her eyes, trying to sink into the warm safety of Han’s chest, but the nagging feeling at the back of her mind wouldn’t let her. She took a deep breath.

“There’s just one more thing.”

Han groaned and released her. “What _now_?”

Leia hurried over to her filing cabinet and keyed in her passcode. “I need you to look at something for me. And you’ll want to sit down for this.”

 

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Luke fiddled absently with the black glove on his right hand as the shuttle walkway lowered in front of him. He had placed the garment over the top of the burned synthflesh soon after leaving Tatooine. The prosthetic was something that he had never truly gotten used to, but at least it usually looked normal. Now, however, he could see the inner workings of it and it made him feel uncomfortable.

As soon as the rampway stopped moving, Luke stepped out of the shuttle and onto the Executor's shiny hanger bay floor. Almost immediately, a young Imperial tech dressed in black stepped forward and gave him a nod.

"Lord Vader awaits your presence on the command bridge, my Lord," the tech said in his clipped Coruscanti tones.

"I'll be there shortly," Luke responded, although he barely heard his own words.

He brushed past the tech and stepped out into the large, grey hallway. It was quite busy at this hour, with officers hurrying between corridors and mouse droids scurrying underfoot, but Luke didn't notice any of them.

His mind was blank and his body, numb. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion, yet it wasn't slow enough. He needed to stop. To think. To breathe.

Luke heaved slightly and suddenly the dizziness was back. He had managed to contain it on the journey back to the Executor, but perhaps that hadn't been the right thing to do, for now it seemed even worse. Luke stumbled to the left and slipped through a doorway into an empty store room.

He fell roughly against the wall and then slid slowly to the floor, bringing his knees up to his chest. His whole body was shaking, but no matter how hard he tried to calm himself with the Force, he just couldn't do it. He cursed inwardly and then thrust his mental shields up with as much effort as he could. He didn't want Vader anywhere near his thoughts right now.

Luke clenched his fists and dug his nails into his skin as hard as he could. The pain was dull but it was enough to clear his mind a little. Clear enough, perhaps, to do something he hadn't done in a while.

Luke breathed in slowly and closed his eyes. Then, he reached out into the Force—reached out with eyes only looking for the Light. But the Light shied away from him. It recoiled from his reach and slipped even further from his grasp. Luke tried to reach for it again, but it eluded him, and his heart rate began to pick up as the words of Master Yoda slipped into his head.

_ "Once you start down the Dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny." _

Luke's connection to the Force slipped suddenly as he realised the startling truth of his former master's words. But no... Surely there was a way back... A way back to the light… Wasn’t there?

Another voice slipped into his head. This time, it was his mother's.

_ "Focus on the good and you will not fall." _

"I'm sorry, mother," Luke whispered, his voice thick. "I'm sorry. I failed. Please forgive me."

But there was no response.

A strong wave of hopelessness washed over him in that moment and he pulled his knees even closer to his chest and buried his head in them. He let out a small sob.

Had he really gone too far?

He snorted softly at that thought. The answer was most obviously _yes_. After all, he had just _murdered_ at least fifty people. And the worst part was that he had _enjoyed_ it. And not only that, but he wanted _more_. More death, more screams, more pain.

More power.

He knew he shouldn't. But he _did_. But no! That was wrong!

Luke breathed in deeply, trying to quell the queasiness that was quickly spreading through his stomach. This inner conflict, this constant struggle between what was right and what was wrong, what he wanted and what he knew he shouldn't, had been raging ever since Vader had given him a taste of the Dark Side. And it was slowly driving him mad.

He had enjoyed taking those lives earlier, yet he knew that wasn't _right_. In fact, it was very, very wrong. But what else was he to do? It wasn't like he could just walk away and return to the Alliance like nothing had happened...

Or could he?

It wasn't like Vader was holding him here against his will. Yes, there was the deal he had struck with Vader, but he was more than capable of protecting his friends if Vader ever tried to attack them. But would they even want his protection? Would they welcome him back?

Most likely not.

They thought he was a traitor, after all. And they weren't exactly wrong about that.

Still, if he could convince them otherwise... They could save him. Save him from this dark fate of deception and death...

Luke grabbed onto that thought like a lifeline and pushed himself up off the ground. He brushed the creases out of his uniform and, with a renewed sense of determination, he left the room and headed back off in the direction of the hangar bay.

He knew it now. The Dark path was not an option. He had to return to the Alliance, return to the Light and then return to save his father.

Luke brushed past the various techs and officers without a sideward glance. His mind was too busy running over the layout of the hangar bay and the various ships stationed within it. He could easily take a Lambda-class shuttle and pilot it on his own. No one would object to him taking it and he would be long gone before they even realised he wasn't intending on coming back.

Luke entered the hangar bay and without stopping, headed straight towards the closest shuttle. He had never flown one before—Vader had assigned him a personal pilot for the trip to Tatooine—but he figured it couldn't be too hard. He stepped closer to the shuttle and his mind was so busy running over the likely flight prep that he almost didn't hear the dark, booming voice from behind him. Almost.

"Just where do you think you're going?"

Luke whipped around instantly. "I'm leaving," he growled at the dark figure of his father. He didn't know how Vader had found him, for his mental shields had been holding the entire time, but it didn't bother him. Actually, he was glad his father was here. He wanted to make his point. "I'm returning to the Alliance. I don't care about our deal and if you want to try and stop me, then go ahead."

Luke reached for Vader's saber, which was still clipped to his belt. The silver and black hilt slid smoothly into his hand and he gripped it with a fiery determination.

But Vader's next words made him loosen his grasp on the weapon.

"If you want to leave, then leave."

"You're... You're not going to stop me?" Luke asked, mild confusion etched on his face.

"You are free to go if you wish," Vader rumbled. "I ask only that you return my lightsaber."

Vader extended his hand and Luke eyed it hesitantly. Was Vader playing him? Luke glanced at his father's expressionless mask and extended his senses, but he could sense no dishonesty from Vader.

He was about to query this unusual occurrence further, but chose to hand over the lightsaber instead. If Vader was letting him go without any consequences, then he would go.

"Goodbye, father," Luke said and then turned back towards the shuttle.

But he hadn't even gone two steps before Vader spoke again.

“Even I do not know the location of the Rebels. How do you plan on finding them?”

Luke paused, a flicker of concern spreading through his stomach. He hadn’t thought of that. The Alliance was on the run. Not even the Empire knew their location...

“The Force will guide me back,” he supplied, although his uncertainty rang clear through his tone.

"They won't accept you back, you know that. Not after what you've done."

"They don't need to know what I've done," Luke replied, a flame of anger hardening his words.

"The truth always finds its way to the surface, Luke,” Vader countered, then changed topics. “Didn't you ever wonder why the Alliance took so hungrily to your 'betrayal'?"

"I assumed it was because you did a pretty decent job of faking that footage of me handing over Alliance intel," Luke growled, turning to shoot Vader a hard glare.

"Yes, but showing them the footage would not have worked if they didn't already doubt you, Luke."

Luke clenched his jaw but did not respond.

"And they didn't just doubt you, Luke. They lied to you and concealed information. They didn't trust you. None of them did. Not even the Princess."

"You're lying," Luke said.

"Have you ever heard of Project Cataclysm?"

Luke blinked and shifted slightly on his feet. No, he hadn’t, but he wasn’t about to let Vader know that. "There are a lot of Alliance projects that I've never heard of," he replied evenly.

“I don’t believe that for a second.”

Luke gritted his teeth. “And what exactly is ‘Project Cataclysm’?” he asked, covering his intrigue with skepticism.

“We do not have much information on it as of yet, although I believe we might have a breakthrough in that matter soon,” Vader rumbled and Luke narrowed his eyes slightly, wondering about the implications of his father’s words. “But what we do know, is in here.” Vader extended a small datapad, which Luke took hesitantly.

He turned the screen on and looked down at it. A slight frown creased his brow as he noticed that the datapad was quite dated. HIs eyes roamed over the screen and he was quite surprised to find that the device had no holonet connection. Actually, it didn’t seem to have a connection to anything at all.

“There is security in old devices,” Vader explained, noticing Luke’s confusion. “Even the Alliance does not keep information about this project on their databases. The information on that datapad is what my spy managed to obtain from a piece of flimsy in the archives aboard Home One. It is the only record available regarding Project Cataclysm. We suspect that the rest of the information is either being kept under high level security or is located in the minds of those assigned to the project.”

Luke raised his eyebrows slightly, but did not open the document.

“Do you really expect me to believe all this?” he asked.

“It matters not whether you believe it, Luke, but it is the truth.”

“Why are you showing me this?” Luke asked. “Are you trying to convince me to stay? Because if you are, there would be better ways. Just because the Alliance didn’t fill me in on this project, doesn’t mean they didn’t trust me. And it doesn’t mean they won’t accept me back.” He knew he was trying to convince himself more than Vader, but he didn’t care. He had made his decision to leave and he wasn’t going to change his mind simply because of Vader’s claims. For all he knew, Vader could have forged the file, just like he had forged the footage of his ‘betrayal’.

“You should read the file before you make any judgements, Luke. But no, I am not trying to convince you to stay, although I would be pleased if you did. I am asking for your help.”

“My help?” Luke asked, slightly taken aback by those words.

“I believe this project is some sort of weapon, although I need more information to confirm that fact. You’re the only one who can get it for me.”

“I don’t understand,” Luke said, shaking his head slightly. “I don’t know anything about the project. I can’t give you any information on it.”

“No, but you can _get_ it for me,” Vader rumbled darkly.

Luke shook his head and extended the datapad back towards Vader. “No. I won’t help you. I’m returning to the Alliance. To my friends.”

“Then it’ll interest you to know that it was your ‘friend’ the Princess who authorised the project,” Vader said. “And her, also, who expressly stated that under no circumstances should you ever be involved with it.”

“Do you expect me to believe that?” Luke raised his eyebrows.

“Look at the file, Luke.”

Luke hesitated for a moment, but finally tapped the Project Cataclysm file open. He quickly skimmed the document, which was only a page long, and then returned to the top to read it in detail. He frowned slightly. Basically, it was a list of names. The people involved in the project were listed at the top, and the people who were prohibited from being involved due to ‘security reasons’ were listed at the bottom.

‘Luke Skywalker’ was in the bottom section.

Luke shot Vader a skeptical glance. “You faked the footage of my ‘betrayal’ and death,” he said. “You could have easily faked this as well.”

“Why would I do that?” Vader rumbled.

“To convince me to stay.”

“I already told you: that is not my intent. Look at the signature.”

Luke frowned slightly, but returned his gaze to the page. Down at the very bottom was a signature. It was so small that he had to zoom in to get a better look at it. The writing was curved, but sharp, and awfully familiar. It was very rare for Leia to actually sign a document—after all, most things were done electronically these days—yet Luke had seen her signature once or twice. And this was definitely it.

He shook his head. “Leia experienced the destruction of her own planet by the power of a superweapon. There is no way that she’d authorise the construction of her own.” But even as he said those words, a faint flicker of doubt crept into the back of his mind. Why hadn’t she told him about this? Why was his name on the prohibited list?

Because Vader had faked it, that was why.

Luke shook his head again, but for a different reason this time.

“No, I don’t believe you,” he said as he handed the datapad back to Vader. His gaze lingered on the device, however, and he couldn’t help but feel that Vader was actually telling the truth. But, no. That was ridiculous! Wasn’t it? Well, he wouldn’t exactly put it past Leia to seek revenge, but a _superweapon_? That was pushing it a little. Still, he was getting an odd feeling from the Force…

“You might not believe me, but perhaps you will believe the two Rebels whose names are on that list.”

Luke looked at Vader.

“We intercepted them a number of weeks ago,” Vader elaborated. “They are currently in the cellbay, if you wish to speak with them.”

Luke frowned. “If you have them then why do you need me? Can’t you just torture the information out of them?”

“They have proven to be quite resistant to our mind probes.”

Luke’s frown deepened and he looked away from Vader, running the new information over in his mind. Honestly, he didn’t know what to think. It would have been very easy for Vader to fake the file, but the Force was telling him that that wasn’t the case. Then why had he been excluded from this project? Especially when he had held such a high security clearance. Was it really because they hadn’t trusted him? Or was there another reason? And, most importantly, what exactly _was_ Project Cataclysm and why was Leia’s signature on the file?

“The Rebels won’t tell me anything,” Luke said, turning back to look at Vader. “I’m a traitor to them. They won’t even give me a word.”

“Fortunately, these Rebels were captured before your ‘betrayal’,” Vader rumbled. “They are unaware of your current situation.”

Luke exhaled slowly.

“You can leave now if you wish,” Vader said. “Or you can speak to the Rebels and decide later. Just know that your placement as my apprentice is still open. You served me well today and I am willingly to repay you for that.”

Luke looked to the ground, conflict running deep through his veins. His eyes flitted restlessly across the floor as he tossed up the various options. After a long moment’s silence, he finally settled on a decision.

He looked up at Vader and asked, “Do you still have my old Alliance fatigues?”

 

.

.

.

 

“No.”

“No? What do you mean ‘no’?”

“I mean: this is an incredibly dangerous weapon, Leia,” Han said, looking up from the scattered array of flimsies. “And I would in no way condone the use of it. Not even against the Empire.”

“Not even after what they did to Luke?” Leia asked, crossing her arms.

Han grimaced slightly, then sighed, looking down at the files spread across the desk. He rubbed at his eyes and ran a hand through his hair.

“Han, we need to increase our defences. We can only hide from the Empire for so long.” Leia wasn’t sure why she was suddenly so defensive about Project Cataclysm. Ever since Obi-Wan had proposed the resurrection of the project she had been torn inwardly about whether to actually construct it or not. But it seemed that her inner self had grown quite accustomed to the idea of the project, for Han’s disagreement made her angry.

“This is not the answer, Leia. Far from it, actually.”

“Then what are we supposed to do when the Death Star shows up on our doorstep? We’ll hardly be as lucky as last time.”

Han’s eyes widened. “ _Death Star_? The Empire’s constructed another one?”

“Yes,” Leia replied. “And this one’s even bigger than the last. And more powerful, too.”

Han sighed. “Even still, this weapon… Leia, you have to understand. The way it works… Even the slightest error could be devastating. It’s more likely to go wrong than right. Your father discontinued the project for that very reason. It’s too dangerous.”

Leia huffed. She knew Han was right, but if what Obi-Wan had said to her was true… Something dark was coming, and the Alliance would surely be destroyed if they didn’t have the right defences. And sometimes, in order to win a battle, you had to be willing to take risks, even if they had the chance of reaping devastating consequences.

“Leia, please listen to me,” Han said, gathering the flimsies into a somewhat neat pile. “You’re better off just putting all this back in your filing cabinet and forgetting about it. No one’s ever going to let you authorise this.”

“It’s already been authorised,” Leia said quietly. “And it has been for many years now. In fact, it never truly got put away. It’s always been there as a back-up, waiting in the background, ready to be called upon if necessary. I never even considered using it—like you said, it’s too dangerous—but I always updated the files and gave out the orders when necessary. But now… Han, something bad is coming. I’ve felt it and so has Obi-Wan. I—”

“Wait a second,” Han interrupted. His expression had slowly been creeping into a deep frown throughout her speech and now it could almost be considered a glare. “Obi-Wan? He’s the one who conned you into this?”

“Han—”

“No, Leia,” Han growled. “Luke used to listen to Obi-Wan all the time. He trusted his word without even the slightest presentation of evidence, and look where that got him! I’m not going to let that happen to you. I’m not going to let this thing destroy you, Leia.”

“It won’t destroy me, Han.”

“How do you know? What if it all goes terribly wrong? Who’s to blame then? I’ll tell you who. You. And not even I will be able to help you then.”

“Han—”

“And then there’s also the issue of what will happen if the Empire gets their hands on this thing!” Han shouted. “Or did you not consider that?”

“We have failsafes for that,” Leia replied indignantly.

“Failsafes? I’ve read about your ‘failsafes’, Leia,” Han said, jabbing a finger at the pile of flimsies on the desk. “And they’re not going to be good enough against the Empire. All they’re going to do is get innocent men killed!”

Leia huffed angrily. “Han, with what’s coming, I don’t think we have a choice. And besides, everyone who signed up for this knows the risks.”

Han looked like he was about to continue arguing, but he suddenly clamped his mouth shut and sunk into silence. He stared at her for a few moments, his brow slightly creased and his eyes roaming her face. Then he sighed.

“Just please tell me one thing,” he said quietly. “Please tell me this thing isn’t operational.”

Leia swallowed softly. “Not yet,” she replied. “But all the preparations have been made. All I need to do is give the word.”

Han shoved his chair back and stood up swiftly. Then he turned and began walking towards the door.

“Han, wait—” Leia started.

“I think you should reconsider your actions, Leia,” he said as the doors slid open. “We’re not Imperials. We can fight a better war.”

And then he left.

 

.

.

.

 

Luke pulled at his collar as he strode down the grey hallway of the Executor. He had gotten so used to his black Imperial uniform over the past number of days that his old Alliance fatigues felt incredibly foreign. Granted, these weren’t actually _his_ fatigues—those had been incinerated almost immediately after they had been removed from his body. These, Vader had mysteriously procured from the Executor’s stores. Most likely they had belonged to some former Rebel who had died an unfortunate death at the hand of Vader.

Luke rounded the corner and entered the cell bay, pulling out a blaster as he did so. The officers stationed around the room fell instantly, stunned by Luke’s quick and efficient shots before they could even register his presence. Luke strode past them without a backwards glance. The Rebels, Vader had informed him, were being held in the cell at the very end of the bay.

Luke moved quickly up the steps and jogged down the cell-lined corridor. If he wanted to win the Rebel’s trust and get the information he wanted, he had to make this look convincing. He slowed slightly as he reached the cell and keyed in the unlock code without even glancing at the keypad. The door slid open with a _whoosh_ and the two Rebels looked up at him. Their shocked expressions quickly turned to ones of hope, and one of them whispered, “Commander Skywalker?”

Luke gave them a roguish grin. “I’m here to rescue you. We don’t have much time. Let’s go.”

The Rebels bounded up off the floor and Luke took off down the hallway, with the Rebels following close behind. Together, they rushed down the cell bay and out into the main reception area. Luke jumped over the body of one of the unconscious officers, adrenaline pumping through his veins, and then sprinted out into the hallway, which was deserted. The next one, however, wouldn’t be.

Luke slowed his pace to half and gestured to the Rebels to do the same. They kept to the walls, moving swiftly, but silently down the corridor. Luke slowed to a halt as they neared the end of the passage and motioned for the Rebels to stay back. He leaned out slightly to get a glimpse of the next hallway, then quickly pulled himself back in, eyes widening at the sight of a nonexistent threat.

He turned towards the Rebels and began ushering them back the way they had come.

“This way. Quickly,” he whispered. They rushed a couple metres down the hallway, before Luke hit a button on the wall and pulled them all into a small, sparsely furnished room. The Rebels stumbled from the sudden change in direction, but managed to keep their balance. They looked around quickly before turning curious expressions on Luke.

“Where to now, Commander?” the taller one asked. His light brown hair was roughly tousled and his dark green eyes were rimmed with red. They had certainly been through a lot during their time as Imperial prisoners, but Luke couldn’t find it within himself to feel sorry for them.

“We need to wait a couple of minutes for my friends to set off the diversion. Then, we should be good to go,” Luke said quickly, the lie sliding easily from his lips as the door to the room hissed shut “What are your names?”

“Kip and Dunn,” the taller one answered, giving a slight nod in the direction of his partner as he said the second name. “If I might ask, Commander, why did you come to rescue us?”

Luke frowned. “Because you’re important, of course,” he replied. “Imagine if the Imperials found out about Project Cataclysm. It would be a devastating end for us all.”

Both the Rebels tensed at the mention of the project, but it was so slight and controlled that Luke was only able to pick up on it through the Force.

“I’m not sure what you’re talking about, Commander,” said Kip, his heavy brows creased in a frown.

“Come now, you can tell me,” Luke said, letting the influencing tones of the Force creep into his voice. “I have the clearance. And after all, we might not all make it out of here. I need you to tell me everything you know just in case the both of you don’t make it back.”

Kip shook his head. “I’m sorry, Commander, but I can’t talk about that.”

“You will tell me everything,” Luke repeated, this time adding a slight wave of his hand to his words. “I have the clearance.”

“I’m sorry, Commander, but you do not,” said Dunn. “And if you’re attempting to manipulate our minds with your Jedi powers, then I’m afraid it won’t work. We’re immune to the persuasion of the Force.”

Luke’s brow crinkled at those words. Immune? He reached out into the Force and, sure enough, the Rebels’ minds were closed to him. He didn’t have the time to think about how that was possible, for the Rebels were regarding him with wary looks.

He smiled lightly in an attempt to ease the growing tension in the room.

“I’m sorry, I don’t mean to pry,” he said. “But you must understand. This information is very important to the survival of the Alliance. It is essential that it makes it off this ship. I have been given special clearance by Mon Mothma to—”

Luke cut himself off instantly as he realised those were the wrong words to say. Even though their minds were closed to him, Luke could still get a general sense of the Rebels’ emotions through the way they moved in the Force. And the mention of Mon Mothma had brought instant alarm and concern to their minds.

“But it’s not Mon Mothma who’s in charge,” Luke whispered quietly to himself, cursing inwardly at his stupidity. His gaze hardened as he looked at the Rebels. “It’s Leia, isn’t it?”

Dunn shook his head. “Commander, I don’t know how you found out about the project, but you must understand that we cannot speak to you about it.”

“Why not?” Luke asked, the hardness now moving to his voice.

“Security reasons,” Kip supplied.

Luke raised his eyebrows. “‘Security reasons’,” he echoed drily. “Does that mean you don’t trust me?”

“Commander, what about our escape,” Kip said, eyeing the door which Luke was blocking. “Shouldn’t we be going?”

“Answer my question and then we’ll leave,” Luke growled. The fire inside him that he had managed to quell earlier was beginning to flicker to life again, but he made no move to stop it. The Rebel’s avoidance of his question almost certainly confirmed what Vader had been saying. They didn’t trust him. They never had.

“Commander—”

“Sit down,” Luke snapped, throwing his attempted facade out the window. The Rebels recoiled at his outburst but made no move to obey his command. Luke gestured to the table and chairs that lay to the side of them. “Sit,” he repeated.

“But what about—”

“I wouldn’t worry about your escape now, Dunn,” Luke said coldly. “You’ve all but missed your opportunity. Now, please, sit down.”

The Rebels shot each other a concerned glance, but did what he had asked, albeit rather slowly. Luke keyed the lock on the door and then slipped into the chair opposite the Rebels.

“Now, I want you to tell me all about Project Cataclysm,” he said, folding his arms on top of the table. “And if you don’t cooperate, I will have no choice but to force it out of you.”

“You won’t get anything out of us,” said Kip defiantly. “Your Jedi ways won’t affect us.”

“Really? I have some methods in mind that I think might work.” Luke shot them a wicked smirk.

The Rebels stared at him in concerned silence, neither of them knowing how to react to the unusual behaviour of their famed Commander. The tension in the room had now transformed into a cold, fear-ridden chill and Luke revelled in it. His concerns about the Dark Side were long forgotten, replaced instead by the adrenaline and excitement of the impending interrogation.

“Well, if no one’s going to talk, then I’ll have to start forcing it out of you,” Luke said, raising his eyebrows. “Who wants to go first?”

“We’ll never tell you anyth—AAAH!”

Dunn’s words warped into a strangled cry of pain as a sickening _crack_ resounded about the room. Kip started in shock and his hand flew to his mouth as he looked at his partner who was cradling his left hand in his right, his index finger bent in an extremely unnatural position. Luke hadn’t even blinked.

Kip turned a horror-filled gaze on Luke as Dunn continued to grit his teeth against the pain.

“You’re… You’re an Imperial?”

“How very astute of you.” Luke’s eyes were cold and they glittered with a fierce intensity that indicated that he was enjoying this way more than he should have been given his previous alignment. “Now, start talking.”

“I…” Kip gaped, still horror-struck. “I don’t—”

_ Crack. _

Dunn screamed in pain as a second finger snapped.

Kip’s eyes widened and his face paled. “Okay, okay, I—”

“No, don’t tell him anything, Kip. AAAH!” Dunn cried out again as a third finger snapped.

“Shut up,” Luke growled in the direction of the screaming Rebel. Then he turned his gaze on Kip and raised his eyebrows.

Kip was practically white by now and his panic was evident in his shaking fingers.

“I - I don’t know much, but I’ll tell you everything I know,” he stuttered, trying to avoid Luke’s cold gaze, but also trying to avoid the sight of his partner’s broken fingers. Both were making him feel incredibly sick.

“Speak quickly.”

“It’s - It’s a weapon.”

_ Crack. _

“I know that much already,” Luke hissed, keeping his eyes locked on Kip. The Rebel was trembling visibly and his eyes kept flickering to Dunn who was hissing in pain. “What does it do?”

“I don’t know,” Kip replied, but continued hurriedly when Luke raised his eyebrows. “All I know is that it’s capable of taking down a Star Destroyer. Maybe even something larger.”

Luke had assumed that much already. Just the title of the project indicated that it wasn’t some mild laser cannon. If the Rebels were going to such lengths to conceal it, it had to be incredibly powerful. Powerful enough, even, to take on the Death Star.

“What else do you know?” Luke asked.

“Don’t… tell him…” Dunn grit out. The man was shaking and his face was deathly white, yet he still had the nerve to speak up.

Luke turned his hard gaze on Dunn. “I told you to be quiet,” he hissed, and this time he moved his grip on the Force away from the man’s fingers. He trailed it up the man’s body, searching for the perfect place. Then he pulled lightly.

Dunn gasped and his face contorted. He clutched at his chest with his good hand, his breathing shallow and laboured.

Luke turned again to Kip, who was staring at his friend in a wide-eyed mixture of concern, dread and horror. “Tell me everything you know.”

Dunn shook his head quickly, despite the pain. “Don’t—”

The _crack_ that followed was the loudest yet, and the scream that Dunn let out was ear-piercing, although it quickly subsided to a wheezing wail. Dunn heaved heavily and then coughed, a trickle of blood spilling out the side of his mouth. The snapped rib must have punctured a lung.

Kip’s chin was trembling as he looked at Luke. “You’re a monster,” he whispered.

Luke leaned back in his chair. Unlike previous times, his body wasn’t shaking and his mind seemed perfectly clear. He almost felt at ease, and he shot Kip a smirk to show it. “Shall I break another of his ribs, or are you going to talk?”

Kip swallowed nervously, but nodded. He tore his eyes away from Dunn, and locked them on Luke.

“There are… codes,” Kip said shakily. “Codes that are necessary for the operation of the weapon.” He trailed off quietly as Dunn’s wheezing coughs worsened.

“Go on,” Luke encouraged.

“Each of them is protected by a small group of Rebels…”

“Where?”

“There are… ten bases. I—”

“Kip, _don’t_ ,” wheezed Dunn, although Luke was sure the man must’ve regretted those words almost instantly, for a second rib splintered with yet another chilling crack. Dunn fell backwards in his chair, no longer able to support himself because of the pain. His breathing was short and shallow, and blood was spilling from his lips at an alarming rate. Luke had never felt such a raw desire to kill someone before. Yes, he had wanted to. But this… this was almost animal. He extended his reach with the Force and gripped Dunn’s neck tightly. The man’s breathing stuttered even further and he clutched at his throat, trying to tear the invisible fingers away.

“Tell me where the bases are,” Luke whispered to Kip, his expression eerily calm. “Or I will snap his neck.”

Kip gaped silently for a moment, horror shining bright in his eyes, but then he quickly tried to compose himself and started listing the names of the planets where the bases were located. Luke listened intently.

“So, these codes will activate the weapon?” he asked, once Kip had finished with the list.

Kip nodded quickly.

“Does the Alliance have other copies of these codes or are they only kept at these bases?”

“Only - only at the bases,” Kip whispered.

Luke studied him for a moment. He couldn’t read the man’s mind, but he still got the sense that he was telling the truth. Or, at least, what he _thought_ was the truth. Often the best way to keep a military secret from being uncovered by the enemy was to only keep the knowledge of the real details to a select few. Everyone else only knew parts of the secret, or false information. Luke’s eyes roamed the man’s face, doing a triple-check for any warning signs that indicated he was lying. But all he found was scared, fear-driven sincerity. Luke sighed.

Either way, Project Cataclysm existed and that was all that really mattered. The Alliance had kept this information from him, just like Vader had said. They had never trusted him. Not even Leia.

Luke nodded slowly. “Thank you for your cooperation,” he said quietly.

Kip swallowed nervously, his eyes flitting across Luke’s face. Then he whispered, “I know, now, why they never allowed you to know about it. Were you always an Imperial? Or did you defect?”

Luke’s gaze hardened. “What do you think?”

“From the way you’re acting, I’d assume you were always an Imp,” Kip said quietly. “But my heart tells me otherwise. You betrayed us, didn’t you?”

Luke gave a small, cold smile in response.

“Then, I hope Princess Leia uses this weapon against you,” Kip said. “I hope she uses it against the fleet. And I hope you’re on this ship when it happens. A fast death is not what you deserve, but as long as you die at the hand of a Rebel, it really doesn’t matter to me.”

Luke’s jaw tightened and his eyes turned icy.

“I… second that,” wheezed Dunn, his lips spilling over with blood.

Luke looked down for a moment, then back at Kip. He smirked slightly and then suddenly Dunn flew forward in his chair, thrown by the invisible grip on his neck. His head smashed into the cold, metal table top, leaving a blood-spattered dent, and then rebounded. Dunn fell to the floor, lifeless.

Kip shrieked in shock, pushing himself up and out of his chair and back towards the wall. Luke hadn’t thought it possible, but the man’s face paled even further.

Luke was on his feet in seconds, whipping his vibroblade out of its sheath and pushing Kip hard against the wall. He closed one hand around Kip’s neck and pressed the vibroblade close to his throat with the other.

“The Alliance will fall because of you,” Luke hissed. “I hope you’re proud of your actions.”

And before the Rebel could even start a reply, Luke sliced his throat with the vibroblade. Blood poured out of the wound in an instant, and Kip let out a choking cough. Red liquid spilled over his lips as he gasped for air, but Luke did not recoil. The blood fell quickly over his hand, painting it red and making it tingle with warmth. All of the other deaths he had caused were hardly as exhilarating as this one. This one was close, personal, done with his own hands rather than with the Force and, unlike the incident with the Rebel spy, he actually had complete control over his actions.

Only once Kip had finally stopped struggling and all of the life was drained from his body did Luke let go and take a step back. He was not repulsed by the sight of the dead bodies, like he had been earlier, and it showed through the stillness of his hands. If he had been falling these past few weeks, then he had just hit the ground. Luke turned around and walked towards the door.

His day had started with blood and it had ended with it. But there was still one more thing he had to do.

 

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The large, grey doors slid open and Vader turned around to silently regard his visitor.

Luke stepped into the room. His left hand was covered in blood, as were his clothes, and his expression was dark.

“I was wrong not to trust you,” Luke said. “I was wrong to believe that my place lies anywhere but here. I have information for you regarding Project Cataclysm.”

Vader stepped forward slightly, interested to hear what Luke had to say. He had felt what had gone on in the room across from the cell bay, but it had been limited by Luke’s shielding. He could only imagine the full extent of the interrogation. His son was powerful. Very powerful. And he was young. The corruption of the Dark Side had taken over him quickly. Luke had tried valiantly to resist, but ultimately the darkness had won. Vader had known it would happen ever since he had found that tendril of darkness within his son during the torture sessions. He was, however, surprised at how quickly it had occurred. Especially, since Luke had been so close to returning to the Light just over an hour ago. Vader smiled darkly behind his mask. His plan was working.

“It is, as you suspected, a superweapon, capable of bringing down a Star Destroyer. Perhaps, even the Death Star,” Luke said. “There are ten bases where the operation codes of this weapon are being kept hidden, although I cannot be certain that this is indeed the truth for the Alliance has ways of keeping its secrets well protected. Nevertheless, I recommend we go after these codes and destroy the bases.”

“I agree,” Vader rumbled. “We cannot risk the Rebels using this weapon against us.”

Luke stared at Vader for a moment, then dropped to one knee and bowed his head.

“I pledge myself to your teachings, father,” he said. “I pledge my loyalty and my life to you, if you will accept it.”

“I accept,” Vader responded, and it was all he could do to contain the excitement rising within him. It was one thing to turn Luke to the Dark Side, it was something else to have Luke pledge himself to him and to the ways of the Sith. “I believe I taught you the Sith Code, did I not?”

“Yes, father,” Luke responded, keeping his head bowed. Then, he began reciting. “Peace is a lie, there is only passion. Through passion, I gain strength. Through strength, I gain power. Through power, I gain victory. Through victory, my chains are broken.”

Luke took a deep breath, then finished, “The Force shall free me.”

Vader smiled a victorious smile behind his mask.

“Rise, my apprentice.”

 


	13. Chapter 13

Leia stared out at the empty darkness of space, a cold, chilling feeling slowly spreading through her body. She clasped her hands together, trying to warm them up, but the coldness was not of the body. It was of the mind—of the Force.

Her brows creased as she looked out at the stars through the mess hall viewport. Something bad was happening. Something terrible.

“You’ve felt it too, haven’t you?”

Leia didn’t turn around to look at the person who was speaking. The ship’s mess hall had been empty when she had entered and the doors hadn’t opened since. There was only one explanation for the person’s sudden appearance, and most would not consider it natural. Leia sighed.

“Are you going to tell me what’s going on this time, Obi-Wan? Or are you going to be as vague as ever?” she asked, rubbing her palms together. Her fingers were still tingling from the cold.

There was a long silence before Obi-Wan spoke and his words were very quiet when he did.

“I failed.”

That made Leia turn around. She had never heard so much regret and guilt in Obi-Wan’s voice that it almost chilled her more than the ominous feeling she was getting from the Force.

“Why do you say that?” she asked, quietly.

“This growing darkness… This foreboding feeling of futility… You’ve felt it, haven’t you?”

She nodded.

“I’m afraid it’s all my fault.”

The old Jedi looked down for a few moments and Leia watched him in silence. It was off-putting, to say the least. Jedi were capable of great things, and it was likely that their failures could be equally great. The consequences, no doubt, were already taking shape—if they hadn’t already.

“What happened?” she asked, and her tone wasn’t entirely sincere. Whatever Obi-Wan had done, it was going to have devastating consequences on the Alliance, of that much, she was certain.

Obi-Wan shook his head. “I can’t tell you, Leia.”

Leia’s jaw tightened and she was about to snap off a fed-up retort, when Obi-Wan continued.

“But I am here to fix my mistake—Or, at least, to prevent any further consequences,” Obi-Wan amended. “Leia, I fear my failure cannot be erased. I could have stopped it earlier, but now… Now, it’s moved beyond my control. You are the only hope now, Leia. You must go to Dagobah and learn to become a Jedi.”

“Why?”

Obi-Wan looked significantly taken aback by that. “Because the Dark Side is growing stronger, Leia, and you’re the only one who has the power to stop it. Surely, you understand that now.”

“I do,” Leia replied stiffly. “But why _should_ I? Why should I fix _your_ mistakes? Last time I spoke to you, you called Luke’s death a failure and then said I didn’t know the truth of it. Is that what Luke was trying to do before he died? Fix your failures? Or was _he_ the failure?” she added, venomously.

Obi-Wan’s brow curved in obvious pain at those words. “You will only find the answers if you choose the path of the Force,” he said. “I cannot give them to you.”

“And what about the Alliance? Leia asked coldly, unaware as to how close she had come to hitting the mark before. “You’d still have me up and leave without a backwards glance or a second thought?”

“If we don’t act quickly—”

“And what about Project Cataclysm?” Leia cut in. “Would you have me abandon that too, after I’ve made all the necessary preparations to resurrect it on the basis of nothing but your word?”

“Yes, I would, but, Leia—”

“Why did you fail?”

“I’m sorry?”

“If you will not tell me _what_ your failure is,” Leia said, “then you can at least tell me _why_ you failed.”

Obi-Wan’s lips stretched into a thin line and he sunk into silence, regarding her with sad, tired eyes. Leia crossed her arms, waiting for an answer. Obi-Wan looked away from her hard glare, then sighed.

“I failed because I withheld information,” he said quietly, not meeting her gaze.

Leia stood. “And that, Obi-Wan, is why you will fail again,” she replied coldly. “I will not give your pleas even a second of consideration until you are willing to offer me a decent explanation. My place is with the Alliance and that is where I will stay, unless you manage to convince me otherwise. But at the rate you’re going, I’ll be dead long before you even consider telling me the truth. So, if I were you, Obi-Wan, I wouldn’t bother coming back.”

And with that, she stormed from the room.

 

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Luke gazed darkly out at the stars, oblivious to the crew’s movements on the bridge as he relished in his newfound position. Vader’s apprentice… The last few weeks—perhaps, even, the majority of his life—had been leading up to this moment. But it was not without its dangers.

He held an official position in the Imperial regime now, which meant that there would be no more denying his existence to the Emperor. However, he and Vader had agreed that they would continue to keep the extent of his power and position secret for as long as they could, for it would also keep their intentions concealed as well. Vader had broken the Rule of Two by accepting Luke as his apprentice and he had done so knowing that it was treason to his master. So, for the moment, they were placing their hope in semantics. Luke was to take on the role of ‘Vader’s apprentice’ and was to be referred to as ‘Lord Skywalker’ or ‘my Lord’, but no other name, especially not a Sith one. It was far too risky. Palpatine’s rage at discovering Vader’s betrayal as it was would be swift and unforgiving, but if Luke had taken on a Sith name, neither of them would ever see the light of day again, for that was the truest betrayal of the Sith. Only once they had succeeded in their plans and the Emperor was deposed, would Luke take on the proper title of a Sith. But for now, he was just Luke Skywalker. And honestly, he wouldn’t have it any other way.

Not only did his name hold meaning to himself, but it held meaning to the galaxy. Luke Skywalker was a symbol of hope and freedom. He was the saviour of the Rebellion and the hero of the galaxy. Granted, the footage of his ‘betrayal’ and ‘death’ might have tarnished his reputation a little; however, he was sure that there were still people out there who believed in him. And that was just what he needed. Not because he wanted to restore his faith in himself—oh, no, he had faith enough now— but because he was going to take his hero status and turn it against them. Because there was nothing more terrifying than finding out that your golden hope was now your greatest enemy. And, oh, did they have an enemy in him. Luke smiled darkly.

He turned away from the viewport and surveyed the bridge crew. A few of them met his gaze, before quickly turning away, their fear of him evident through the Force. His eyes flickered up to the Admiral, who gave him a short nod to convey that everything was going well. Luke dipped his head slightly in response and then cringed as a jolting pain shot up his right arm. He clenched his jaw as he curled his right hand into a fist and then released it. Vader had told him to go to the medbay, but he had ignored his father’s words, choosing instead to revel in his newfound status. Now, however, he was thinking that it might not be such a bad idea. He didn’t exactly want to get his hand fixed, but maybe some treatment for the lightsaber burn on his arm would be a good thing since he hadn’t tended to that at all and it was beginning to look a little infected.

Without giving a word to his crew, Luke slipped from the bridge and headed off down the Executor’s grey hallways to the medbay.

It didn’t take him long to reach the white-walled room and the medic looked up as he entered. It was the same man who had tended to him the last time he was here. Luke hesitated a little in the doorway, suddenly wanting to turn around. He wasn’t overly fond of medbays and being patched up, but he supposed it was better than dying a slow, horrible death thanks to infection, so he raised his chin and stepped forward.

“Honestly, I wasn’t expecting you to show up,” commented the medic as he motioned for Luke to take a seat on the bed. “But I’m glad you came. I’d have nothing to do, otherwise, and Lord Vader informed me that you have injuries that need attending to. Show me.”

Luke slipped his black top off at the medic’s direction and raised his right arm slightly to show the man the red slash across his upper bicep. The medic examined it for a moment, before pulling out a white swab and dabbing some clear liquid on it. Luke winced a little as the medic began cleaning the wound.

"Don't you have other patients to attend to?" he asked, gritting his teeth a little. It stung more than he had expected. "With a ship this size, I'd have thought you'd have plenty of people to see."

"Usually I would," replied the medic as he began rummaging around in one of the drawers. "But not anymore. Not since Vader made me your personal medic."

Luke raised his eyebrows. "'Personal medic'?" he repeated.

"Lord Vader didn't tell you?"

"Must've slipped his mind," Luke muttered.

He watched as the medic finished cleaning the wound on his arm and placed a bacta patch over it.

"It should be healed in no time," said the medic. "Now, how's the scar going?"

Luke looked up, momentarily confused, but then he remembered why he had been here the last time and quickly brushed his fringe to the side to allow the medic a better look.

"I quite forgot about it," Luke murmured.

"So, it's giving you no trouble, then?" the medic asked as he examined the scar.

"No."

"I didn't think it would, but there's never complete certainty with these types of injuries. It's looking good though. I think it might even fade a little more than it already has."

Luke brushed his hair back into place as the medic leaned back.

"Now, what else is troubling you?"

Luke looked up. "Nothing," he replied quickly.

The medic raised his eyebrows, unconvinced. "That burn on your arm is not your only injury," he said. "There's something else. You're still in pain."

"How do you know that?" Luke asked, a slight frown creasing his features. It was true—jolting pains were shooting up his arm almost constantly now and he was doing his best not to show it. The prosthetic hand had been with him for almost a year now, yet he still found it quite embarrassing, so he wasn’t overly enthused to show it to the medic.

"I'm good at my job," replied the medic, eyes scanning Luke for any clues as to where the injury might lie. Finally, his gaze came to rest on Luke's gloved right hand. "Glove off," he ordered.

"No," Luke responded shortly, not particularly fond of being ordered around.

"No?" the medic echoed. "Then you'd like to continue suffering?"

Luke glared for a moment, then sighed and slowly removed the glove, careful not to accidently pull at any loose synthflesh.

If the medic had any sort of reaction to the badly damaged prosthetic, it did not show in his face. Luke offered his hand to the man, who took it gingerly and examined it in silence.

"A laser bolt?" he asked after a moment's study.

Luke nodded.

"Well, you certainly don't seem to have much luck with those, do you?"

Luke laughed quietly. "Seems not."

"It might take some time to repair," said the medic.

Luke shook his head. "I don't want it repaired. I don't have the time right now. I'd just like it to stop shooting pain up my arm."

The medic looked at him. "Well, I can fix that quite easily; however, you need to get it properly repaired soon. If this gets any kind of water damage..."

"That's why I have this," said Luke with a grin as he pointed to the glove.

The medic looked unimpressed.

"Okay, I'll get it fixed, but later," Luke sighed. "Just do what you have to do now to stop the pain."

The medic nodded and then got to work. With the help of a small medical droid, the mechanics of the prosthetic were fixed in a matter of minutes.

Luke flexed his fingers. No shooting pain.

"Thanks," he said, giving the medic a slight nod.

"You're welcome. Now, if that is all, I would suggest you get some rest. Your stats are way lower than they should be."

Luke nodded, although he had no intention of doing so. He slipped his glove and shirt back on and then slid out of bed. He gave the medic one last thankful nod before turning and heading towards the door.

"Do try and stay safe and out of trouble," the medic called after him.

"Why should I do that?" he asked. "I have to give you something to do, don't I?" He shot the medic a wry grin and then left.

 

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"Princess Leia!"

Leia sighed and stopped in the middle of the hallway, resisting the urge to throw her hands in the air and cry out, "Why?!" This was the third person who had come calling for her since her argument with Obi-Wan and she still hadn't made it back to her room yet. All she wanted to do was slip under the covers of her nice, warm bed and go to sleep. But no. Everyone had problems and they all seemed to expect her to fix them. Didn't they understand that she was human, too?

She took a deep, calming breath and turned around. And was mildly surprised to see Enzo, Skyro's tech friend, hurrying towards her, a wide grin spread across his face.

"Princess, I've got something to show you, but I think we'd better head some place private. It's got to do with the spy," he added quietly at Leia's questioning glance.

Leia's intrigue piqued and she ushered Enzo towards her room, which was only another two corridors away. Only when the door was firmly closed and the security systems on, did Leia finally ask Enzo for the news.

"It's not much, but it's a lead," he said quickly, hesitance clear in his tones. Leia nodded. She hadn't expected a definitive answer anyway.

Enzo pulled out a datapad and quickly brought up a complex-looking display. "I've located a signal quite unlike any I've seen before. It goes off at regular intervals, five times a day and is scrambled using codes that are definitely not the Alliance's."

"Imperial?" Leia asked.

"I checked it out against all the known Imp codes and nothing. The structure's completely different. Doesn't mean it ain't theirs, though."

"Where’s it coming from?"

"That's the thing. I don't know. I can't pin it down within Home One. The signal bounces off everything. It was hard enough for me to even confirm that it was coming from here, let alone narrow it down to one person or one device."

Leia nodded slowly.

"Do you have any suspicions?" she asked.

Enzo shook his head. "Not a clue. It could be anyone. The technology doesn't match any particular race's and I've never seen anything like it before. The only thing I can say confidently, is that the device sending the signals is automatic. Probably hidden somewhere aboard the ship. The spy must update it with information whenever is convenient and then it bounces it to the Imperials. Twice in the morning, twice in the afternoon and once in the middle of the night. Exact on the hour. Every time."

"I see. Not exactly the type of precision a person is capable of," Leia said, skimming over the information on the datapad. "With all the bouncing, can the Imperials track it back to our location?"

Enzo shook his head, a grin on his face. "That's the technology's only downfall. It bounces around so much in order to protect its sender that it also prevents a track, which is both good—and bad—for us."

Leia nodded. "Can you block it? Prevent it from sending?"

"I'm trying," Enzo replied. "But it'll take time. And I can't even guarantee that I can."

"Okay, thank you, Enzo," Leia said, giving the young tech a warm smile. "Continue monitoring the signal and alert me if there are any anomalies."

Enzo nodded in acknowledgement and stood, gathering his datapad into his arms.

"And can you send me a copy of that data?" she asked as she escorted him to the door.

"Will do, Your Highness. Thank you for taking the time to listen to me. I'm sorry it wasn't much."

"It was a lot more than I was expecting; and quite enlightening, also. Thank you, Enzo. I wish you a good night."

"You too, Your Highness," Enzo said before he stepped out the door and headed down the corridor.

The door slid shut in front of her and she stared absently at it for a couple of moments, mind skimming quickly over the information Enzo had given her. An autonomous device... She would send a scanning crew around the ship tomorrow, although if the technology was so unfamiliar to them, she doubted they would find anything. Still, it was worth a shot. Shrugging lightly, she turned back to her desk.

But she didn’t get far before there was a knock at the door.

Leia struggled not to throw something. She took a deep breath, then exhaled. And repeated that a couple more times before she finally turned and headed to the door—the incident with the Rebel scout was still fresh in her mind, so she didn’t dare call out a “Come in!”. Instead, she decided to answer it herself for once.

Leia keyed for the door release and the white panel slid away quickly. Leia’s anger flared at first because there didn’t appear to be anyone in the corridor, but when she poked her head out a little and looked sideways, she saw the back of a familiar dark-haired Rebel walking slowly away.

“Skyro?” she called, her anger dying down a little, but not entirely. She hadn’t seen Skyro since they had arrived back from Tatooine and their argument still rang clear in her mind; Skyro’s last words in particular still stung pretty bad.

The young captain turned around, a look of confusion flickering across his face as he looked at her.

“Did you want to see me?” she asked.

“I, uh…” Skyro frowned a little, looking back in the direction he had been walking. Then he turned to face her again. “I… No, it doesn’t matter. Sorry, for disturbing you. I have to go.”

Then he turned and began walking away again, but at a much faster pace than last time. Leia frowned and stepped out into the hallway.

“Skyro!” she called again.

Skyro hesitated a moment, but then stopped and looked at her.

“What’s troubling you?” Leia asked, brows furrowed. Regardless of what had happened between them, something seemed off about Skyro and Leia was beginning to feel a little concerned. Especially since this was the second visit she had received from a scout, who had then walked off claiming to have business somewhere else.

Skyro’s eyes slid from her face to the floor and then back again. He frowned a little, but then blinked and gave her a forced smile. “Like, I said—nothing. Sorry for bothering you.”

He turned to leave, but Leia wasn’t about to let him get away that easily.

“Even so, I’d like to talk to you for a moment, if you have the time,” she said, nodding her head in the direction of her room.

Skyro hesitated a moment, but then nodded and followed Leia into the white-walled room. Leia sat down at the table and invited Skyro to do so as well. Skyro’s eyes were still a little shifty, but for the most part, the apprehension she had felt from him before was gone, replaced now by curiosity.

“I want to apologise,” Leia said, getting straight to the point. “For what happened on Tatooine. I should have listened to you and I should have given the situation better thought. I was wrong to leave you with the orders I did. I—”

“No, Leia, I should be the one apologising,” Skyro interrupted, the skittishness now gone from his eyes, replaced instead by pained sincerity. “I spoke out of turn. I shouldn’t have done that.”

“No, Skyro, I’m glad you did and I’m glad you disobeyed my orders. I wouldn’t be here otherwise, and neither would Han.”

“But, still—”

“Skyro, stop. The entire thing was my fault and I am truly sorry. I hope you can forgive me.”

Skyro studied her in silence for a moment. Then he nodded. “I accept your apology,” he said quietly.

Leia smiled. She had been afraid the young captain might refuse. “So, everything’s good between us?” she asked hopefully.

Skyro nodded, a soft smile crossing his lips. “Yeah, everything’s good.” He looked down for a moment, a thoughtful frown crossing his face again, then he looked at her and asked, “Have you found anything out about the spy yet?” The question came off as casual, but it was almost too casual to be casual, Leia noted.

Leia leaned back in her chair, keeping her limited Force abilities as focused on Skyro as she could. She wasn’t sure if this was what was troubling Skyro, but she felt that she’d uncover the matter soon, so she let a small smile cross her lips and continued as usual. “As a matter of fact, we have. Enzo believes the spy is using some sort of autonomous device to transmit information to the Imperials at regular intervals. We can’t seem to track it, but that also means the Empire can’t track it either. Enzo’s working on a way to block it, though. Perhaps you could help him. It might take your mind off whatever’s bothering you.”

Skyro frowned and shook his head, gazing absently at the table top. “No, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Why not?”

Skyro continued to stare at the table for a few moments, eyes flickering and brows furrowed. His lips were pressed into a thin line and he seemed like he was struggling against something internally. Finally, he looked at her. He opened his mouth to speak.

And then swiftly shut it with a shake of his head. “No, it’s nothing. I’ve lingered here too long,” he said, standing up swiftly. A small smile crossed his face as he continued, “I’m glad we sorted things out, but I have to go. Gotta catch up with Clay, you see. He’s been begging me to tell him the tale of how we rescued Han and I promised him I’d drop by tonight. It’s late already and I shouldn’t put it off much longer. Besides, you look like you could do with some sleep.”

“Oh, okay,” said Leia as she, too, stood up. “I’m glad we sorted thing out as well. Have fun with Clay. Don’t get up to too much mischief.”

Skyro laughed. “I’ll try. Goodnight, Leia.”

“Goodnight, Skyro,” she said quietly as she watched him leave. Skyro had done a decent job of trying to shrug it off, but Leia could tell that something was seriously bothering him. And the fact that he wouldn’t tell her what it was, troubled her greatly. But as she turned around to face her room, her eyes went straight to her bed and her train of thought seemed to blur instantly.

She sighed softly. Finally, she could relax. She slipped out of her clothes and into her sleepwear, making a mental note to talk to Clay about Skyro tomorrow, and then slid into bed. She was asleep before her head even hit the pillow.

 

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Luke re-entered the bridge of the Executor, and was surprised to find Vader waiting for him at the end of the runway. Luke strode swiftly towards his father, not even glancing at the crewers below him, and dipped his head as he came to a stop in front of the Sith.

“Master,” he acknowledged.

Vader looked at him. “I believe your medic gave you orders to get some rest, did he not?” he rumbled, a slight hint of amusement flickering at the edges of his tone.

“It was more like a suggestion,” Luke brushed off. He felt fine, honestly. It had been a long day and he was probably still running on adrenaline from the interrogation, but he had other things he needed to organise right now. “I wanted to speak to you about the Rebel bases—the ones with the codes for the Project.”

Vader nodded for Luke to continue.

“I request to be put in charge of the operation,” Luke said. “I wish to lead the attacks on the bases. And I’d like to start tomorrow.”

Vader regarded him for a moment in thoughtful silence. “You will have full reign over the operation, my apprentice, and I will allow you to begin tomorrow. But there is something you must do first.”

Luke looked questioningly at Vader as the Sith extended his hand, but his eyes widened as he recognised what Vader held in his palm. It was a red synth-crystal, perfectly shaped and glistening in the cold light of the Executor’s bridge.

“You have earned it, Luke,” said Vader as Luke gingerly took the crystal into his own hands. “You are worthy of a Sith blade now and I know you will use it well. You are already a fine warrior, but you become an even greater one with the Dark Side as your ally.”

“Thank you, master,” Luke said, bowing his head in thanks.

“The materials you will need to construct your lightsaber have been taken to your room,” Vader said. “If you require anything else, have Admiral Piett acquire it for you. You are dismissed.”

Luke bowed his head and closed his gloved fist around the crystal. Then he turned and left the bridge, excitement making his steps quick. He had been without a lightsaber of his own for a number of weeks now and had been forced to use either Vader’s saber or the deadly vibroblade that his father had given him. Granted, he had kind of warmed to the vibroblade over the past few days—perhaps, because it actually spilled blood, whereas lightsabers cauterised it—however, there was no comparing it to a saber. A lightsaber was power, but it was also a symbol. A symbol of mastery, mainly, but also a symbol of hope. Well, a _Jedi’s_ lightsaber was. A _Sith’s_ lightsaber was a symbol of blood and death. Or, at least, Luke was going to make it that way.

He smirked and headed to his room.

 

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Cold. Everything was cold.

She shivered as a bitter gust of wind rushed at her, knocking her sideways and making her stumble and spin to catch herself. She wrapped her arms around her torso, shielding herself from the cold. But the wicked chill was soon forgotten as she looked up and out at the terrible sight in front of her. It was a field, covered in blood and bodies, and there was black smoke rising in the distance. Leia stared out in shock for a moment, then her eyes wandered to the ground. And she gasped and stumbled as her eyes landed on the first body.

“Han!” she cried. She tried to run to him—to see if he was okay—but her feet were suddenly grounded, frozen painfully on the spot. Her eyes drifted sideways.

“Lando,” she whispered hoarsely as her gaze moved to the next body and then to the ones next to it. “Chewie… Skyro…”

She sunk to her knees, unaware of her movements through the thick fog of shock that was sweeping through her mind. She felt hollow, cold, dead. Because somehow she knew that this—the death of her friends—was all her fault. She sunk her head into her hands, despair and hopelessness washing over her.

But then something made her look up—a feeling from the Force—and she saw it; a dark figure on the horizon, hooded and cloaked. In his hand... a red lightsaber. She couldn’t see his face, but she could feel his dark glare on her and it made her shiver.

The figure moved, then—stepped towards her—and she was on her feet in an instant, except she couldn't move any further. Her feet were stuck to the ground again!

The figure was approaching swiftly now, raising his lightsaber as he neared, swinging it back as he came within in range. She strained with all her effort against the invisible restraints binding her feet to the ground, but they wouldn’t budge and now it was too late—the figure’s deadly blade was swinging towards her head. She scrunched her eyes shut.

And then opened them, gasping for air as she bolted awake in bed.

Leia sat for a few moments, heaving and drenched in cold sweat as she slowly became aware of her surroundings. The dream began to fade, but the horrible guilt about her friends’ deaths and the image of the hooded figure stalking towards her did not. She pushed the covers away from her and swung her legs over the edge of the bed.

She was shaking as she stood up slowly and moved over to the dresser. But it wasn’t just her hands—her legs were wobbly too, and she had to use the wall as a support as she grabbed some fresh clothes from the drawer and slipped into them.

Her breathing was beginning to slow as she twisted her hair into a braid, but her heart was still pounding rapidly in her chest and her mind was still partially frozen from the terrifying vividness of the dream.

Or had it been a vision?

Leia moved back over to her bed and got down on her knees, reaching her hand into the shadowy darkness of the bed’s underside. She grasped the rough material as soon as she felt it graze her hand and pulled, sliding the large duffel bag out from under her bed and onto the floor in front of her. Then, she got up and sat back on her bed.

For a while now, there had been a large decision sitting in front of her—and it was represented now by the bag sitting on the floor in front of her—but she had put off facing it time and time again. But now she had to choose. And despite what she had said to Obi-Wan and Han earlier, she was most definitely not certain of where her position in the galaxy was anymore.

There was darkness on the horizon and it was drawing nearer every day. She had been able to feel it for a while now, but she had never truly believed that she would have some part in fighting it. Or perhaps she had, for the bag in front of her wouldn’t have existed otherwise...

She sighed and laced her fingers together. She would be going back on what she had said to Han if she decided to do this. She would be giving in to Obi-Wan’s pleas. And she would hate herself for both of those things, but she just couldn’t shake the dream from her mind.

Because what if it hadn’t been a dream? What if it had been a vision? Were her friends all going to die? Was it going to be her fault? And who was the mysterious figure with the red lightsaber? It certainly hadn’t been Vader…

Leia stared down at the bag on the floor. She needed answers. And she was not going to get them from Obi-Wan. So, really, there was no other option. She reached down and picked up her travel bag.

She was going to Dagobah.

 

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The darkness swirled around him, twisting and dancing, obeying his every command. All of his senses were attuned to the presence of the Force, and, most especially, to the swirling elements at his fingertips. They rippled in shimmering silver, twisting together to form rigid structures, elegant designs.

How long he had been there, one with the Force as he constructed his lightsaber, he didn’t know, but he was beginning to feel the pull of fatigue, both in his mind and in his bones. Luckily, he was almost done.

The final pieces shifted into place and the crimson synth-crystal glided into position. Luke let the saber fall softly into his hands as he pulled away from the Force, bringing his mind back to reality.

He opened his eyes, and they were heavy with sleep, but he had to admire his handiwork before he slipped into the depths of unconsciousness. He turned the lightsaber hilt over in his hands. It was silver and black in colour, just like his father’s, and it was perfectly weighted. The base of the hilt was lined with black, reminiscent of both Vader’s current saber and his first one, yet the neck was thin, much like Obi-Wan’s. Luke had added that touch to spite his old master. After all, Ben was one of the main reasons why Luke was where he was right now, and he never wanted the old man to forget it.

Luke’s thumb hovered over the controls and then pressed down on the ignition button. With a wicked _snap-hiss_ and a brilliant flash of red light, the saber ignited in front of him. Luke held it slightly aloft to get a better look at it and then swung it through the air a couple of times, relishing in the deadly _hum_ it made as it sliced through imaginary bodies. It was perfect. Much better than his previous green one—and much more powerful.

Luke thumbed the saber off and placed it on his bedside table. His eyelids were refusing to stay open now and a blurry darkness was creeping into his mind. He laid back on his bed, not even bothering to change out of his uniform, and closed his eyes, sinking into sleep within seconds.

 

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Leia walked silently down the hallways of Home One, grateful that they were practically empty at this hour. She didn’t want people to see her leaving. They would take it the wrong way and she wouldn’t be able to defend herself, for she wasn’t ready to reveal her Jedi abilities to the Alliance just yet. They had turned on Luke so easily, so who was to say they wouldn’t do that to her too? Only once she was fully trained in the ways of the Force would she reveal her newfound power. Only then, would she return to the Alliance and make a renewed stand against the Empire.

She glanced down at Artoo who was rolling along silently beside her. He had been quite keen to come with her, or at least, that was what she had interpreted the jittery array of beeps and whistles to mean when she had asked him to accompany her. She was thankful for his presence. Someone familiar on the journey would be comforting and Artoo had been to Dagobah before, so he would be able to help her pilot the ship through the atmosphere, because that was something she was definitely not confident in doing. Yes, she had had lessons with Skyro, but those had only been in the vacuum of space. She hadn’t done any landing, besides pulling into the hangar bay, and so dealing with the horrendous atmospheric conditions of Dagobah was looking a little bit daunting. But if she wanted to learn the ways of the Force and find the answers she needed, she would have to do it.

Leia rounded the next corner and slowed as she realised what area of the ship she had come to. But she pushed on, trying not to look at the door halfway down the corridor that opened up to Han’s room. But as she passed it, her eyes slipped for a second and she felt a terrible wave of guilt surge within her. Because she wasn’t telling Han she was leaving. She had left him a note, briefly explaining why she had left, but she knew he wouldn’t be happy about it. Not at all.

She brushed back a tear as she reached the end of the corridor and turned left, leaving Han behind to discover her absence in the morning. She took a deep breath, raised her chin and pressed on towards the hangar bay.

Artoo chittered something beside her and she turned to look at him, taking her eyes off her path for only a couple of seconds, yet it was long enough for her to turn a corner and run straight into something hard. Leia rebounded and stumbled back a couple of steps, muttering a curse under her breath. Then she looked up and noticed that the something she had run into was actually a someone and that someone was…

“Skyro?”

“Leia?”

“What are you doing out at this time?”

“I could ask you the same question.”

Leia folded her arms, trying to hide her nervousness. Of all the people she had to run into, it had to be the one she had just made up with. If Skyro discovered she was leaving, she’d probably ruin everything again. And she didn’t want to see the look on his face if that happened. Actually, speaking of his face…

“Is that a black eye?” Leia asked, reaching up to skim her hand over the side of the captain’s face. Skyro pulled away and groaned slightly. Obviously, he had been hoping she wouldn’t notice. But it was impossible not to. Especially when it was so large and swollen. “What happened?”

Skyro shook his head. “You told me not to get up to mischief,” he said, a crooked grin spreading across his face. “I guess I failed.”

“You guess?”

“Yeah, I don’t exactly remember,” Skyro said sheepishly. “But I was with Clay and some of the other scouts and techs and well… I think I must’ve gotten a little drunk because everything’s a blur. From the looks of it, though, it ended a little badly.”

“Is everyone else okay?” Leia asked, concern etched on her face.

“Yeah,” Skyro replied. “I think I’m the one who came off worse for wear.” He gave a slight laugh at that.

Leia sighed. “You should get that looked at tomorrow, Skyro. See if the medics can reduce the swelling a bit.”

Skyro nodded. “Don’t worry, I will.” Then he frowned as he noticed something. “What’ve you got a duffel bag for? And why do you have Artoo with you?”

Leia tensed a little, but tried to make her response as smooth as possible. She wasn’t quite sure she succeeded, though. “Uh, well, I kinda wanted to work on one of the x-wings,” she said. “So, I’ve got some tools.” She pointed to her bag. “And Artoo said he’d help me.” She gave a small smile, which was not at all convincing.

Skyro frowned. “At this hour?”

“Yeah, I couldn’t sleep,” Leia said. “Bad dreams.” That part was true, at least.

“Oh,” Skyro responded. His frown loosened a little, but did not disappear entirely. “I didn’t realise you were into that sort of thing.”

“I did a little mechanics when I was younger, but being a Princess and all…” Leia shrugged. “It wasn’t exactly smiled upon.”

“Oh, of course.” Skyro nodded. “I could help you, if you want?”

“It’s okay, Skyro,” Leia replied. “I’ll be fine. And I think you need to get some sleep. You’re swaying.”

Skyro laughed slightly. “Yeah, my vision’s not so good right now,” he said, a wry smile twisting his lips. “Well, you have fun. Goodnight, Leia.”

“Goodnight, Skyro,” Leia said as she and Artoo moved past the captain and on towards the hangar bay.

She let out a deep breath as she rounded the next corner, and prayed that she wouldn’t run into anyone else on the way to her x-wing. Luckily, she only had a few more turns to make and then she would be there.

 

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Skyro watched Leia move down the corridor, a frown lining his features and accenting the black swelling around his eye. His head was spinning, but he could still tell that something was off about Leia. She had most definitely not been telling the truth back there, and why she had lied to him, he didn't know. So, he waited a couple of moments before silently making his way to the hangar bay.

He stopped as he reached the doors of the hangar. They were locked at this hour, so they didn't automatically slide open as he neared, but they were see-through so he had to be cautious in his approach. Skyro kept close to the edge of the wall and then peered through the doors.

And was not entirely surprised to see Leia hauling her stuff into one of the x-wings. He was, however, deeply concerned and slightly hurt. She hadn't told him she was leaving and it didn't look to be an official parting either, what with the way Leia was hurriedly prepping the ship for takeoff, as if she didn't want to be caught. Skyro frowned, but kept on watching. It was only a number of minutes before Leia herself was clambering into the ship and firing up the thrusters. Another minute more and the x-wing was lifting off the ground and flying out into space.

Skyro stared for a few more moments, then turned around and leaned his back against the wall. Nothing made sense right now, and it wasn't just because of his splitting headache—although that was growing by the minute and he realised he should probably get back to his room and get some sleep.

Skyro took one last look at the hangar bay and then began staggering back to his quarters. He would speak to Han in the morning about this. And he also needed to speak to Enzo about the information he found regarding the spy. But right now, all he could focus on was getting back to his room without passing out in a corridor.

 

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Luke strode into the hangar bay, wide-eyed and ready to go after a decent night's sleep. His newly built lightsaber swung from the clip at his belt and his long, black cloak billowed out behind him. The hood was pulled over his head, covering his messy hair and casting his face into shadow, and his black glove still covered his right hand.

He slowed as he approached the white, tri-winged shuttle which stood at the end of the bay, its walkway down and cabin empty. The crew was standing in front of it—a dozen stromtroopers dressed in white armour, their commanding officer and pilot dressed in black. They all snapped to attention as he approached and Luke gave a nod in the direction of the commanding officer.

The officer stepped forward. "The shuttle is prepped and the crew is ready to go, my Lord. My troops are under your command now. I take my leave."

Luke nodded. "You are dismissed, officer," he said, then turned to the stormtroopers and pilot. "On board," he commanded. They nodded in acknowledgement and began boarding the vessel. Luke watched them go and then followed, making his way into the cabin. Obviously, the pilot had been well-informed, for he sat in the co-pilot's seat, leaving the main seat open to Luke. Luke slid into the chair and began checking over the stats. He had never flown this type of ship before, but he figured it couldn't be too hard and luckily, the controls were constructed in a similar way to that of the Alliance's ships. He ran his hands over the dash, tweaking a couple of dials along the way and then turned his attention to the navicomputer. A quick scan of the information showed that everything was in order and their course was properly set.

Once he was fully satisfied with the stats and the layout of the controls, Luke fired up the repulsors and the ship lifted from the ground. He angled it towards the hangar bay exit and then flew them smoothly out into the vacuum of space.

It was exhilarating being at the controls of a ship again, but it was even more exhilarating knowing where they were headed. Once they were far enough away from the Executor, Luke flipped some switches and then engaged the hyperdrive. The stars in front of them streaked and then transformed into the blue swirls of hyperspace. Luke smiled darkly.

His revenge on the Alliance had begun.

 

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Leia frantically flipped at the controls as she entered Dagobah's atmosphere. The conditions weren't as bad as they could have been, but they were still pretty horrific. And it was particularly stressful because this was her first time landing an x-wing.

"I know. I know," Leia snapped at Artoo as she began the landing cycle. "I'm doing the best I can. A little help wouldn’t go astray, though."

Artoo whistled something quickly and Leia adjusted their heading as instructed. Her vision was obscured by wisps of cloud, but at least she could begin to see the tops of trees poking through the mist. She dropped them a bit lower and eased off the thrusters. Artoo warbled something encouraging.

Leia kept a close eye on the x-wing's stats as she lowered them down towards the patch of relatively solid looking ground that she had picked as a landing spot. She flipped on the repulsors and shut off the thrusters as she slowed to hover over the area. Then, she gently lowered them down. Artoo chirped happily as the landing struts connected with the ground and the x-wing came to a halt. Red writing flashed across the screen in front of her. Apparently, she had done better than Luke had.

Leia let out the breath that she hadn't realised she had been holding as she powered down the x-wing. The lights flickered out and the canopy raised. Immediately, the dense humidity of Dagobah hit her and she swiped at her sweaty forehead. She glanced around. Trees, mist, trees and more trees. It didn't look overly promising, but then again, from what Luke had told her about Dagobah, it was not worth underestimating. And neither were its inhabitants.

Leia clambered out of the cockpit and jumped to the ground. Then she swiveled to face Artoo, who was slowly rising from his position in the back of the ship.

"You sure this is the right place, Artoo?" she called.

Artoo gave an affirmative chirp in response as he ignited his thrusters.

Leia nodded slowly as she watched the droid lower himself to the ground, then she turned and began to undo the zip of her flight suit. She pulled the orange material off quickly and bundled it up. Her skin instantly felt cooler and she was glad she had only chosen to wear a white tank top and three-quarter cargo pants underneath. Anything else, and she'd still be suffering from intolerable heat. Leia wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand and then piled her stuff back into the cockpit, before closing it.

Then she turned to face the tree-littered swampland again. She glanced at Artoo, who gave her a short, encouraging, "Let's go" chirp, and then headed off into the trees. Leia followed swiftly after the droid, and soon enough, she had overtaken him.

She didn't know where she was meant to be going, but obviously something had been guiding her for it wasn't long before she came across a small, semi-camouflaged hut. And in front of it stood a small, green creature. Leia froze, a little unsure about the whole situation, but the creature showed no signs of hostility so she continued forward, albeit a little hesitantly.

"Yoda?" she asked quietly, coming to a stop two metres from the creature.

Yoda nodded. "Come for the training, you have," he said, regarding her with old, wizened eyes.

"That's right."

"Reckless are you, like my previous apprentice, yes," Yoda hummed, pointing his walking stick at her. Leia wasn't entirely sure how to respond, so she remained quiet. "Headstrong, also."

"Is that a problem?" she asked, immediately feeling a little self-conscious. She had never met Yoda before, yet he had already gleaned two prominent aspects of her personality from her without her even saying more than three words.

"Hinder your training it will, if you cannot move past it," Yoda replied.

"I will do my best," Leia said earnestly.

"Hmm." Yoda studied her for a moment. "Sick, have I become. But train you, I will. For there are dark times approaching. Upon us already, they may be."

"Thank you, Master Yoda," Leia said, dipping her head slightly.

"Sense in you, great commitment and determination, I do," Yoda replied. "And a desire for answers."

"Yes," Leia admitted. "Obi-Wan wouldn't give them to me. He said I needed to follow the path of the Force to find them."

"Right, he is. Only through deep meditation will you find the answers you seek. Now, come, sit." Yoda gestured to the floor in front of the hut. "Begin at once, we will. No time, do we have. A Jedi, you must become."

Leia sat down and crossed her legs.

"First, teach you to shield your presence, I will," Yoda hummed.

"Shield my presence?" Leia asked, confused.

"To hide you from Vader, and the Dark Side," Yoda explained, leaning heavily on his walking stick.

"Oh," Leia murmured, her eyes wandering to the floor for a moment. She was already a threat to Vader; becoming a Jedi would make her even more so, and that meant that he would be after her with even more determination than he already was. She guessed learning to shield her presence wouldn’t be such a bad idea, so she straightened her back a little and gave Yoda her best attention.

"Close your eyes and clear your mind, you must," Yoda instructed. "Peace, you will find there. A sense of calm."

Leia closed her eyes and took a deep breath in, doing her best to push away all of her thoughts and find her inner peace. But it was hard. She was still overridden with the guilt from not telling Han about her decision to leave and from lying straight to Skyro's face. And she was even more guilty about leaving the Alliance. But this was important. She knew it. And, as she finally let all of her thoughts drift away from her, she realised that this was her destiny.

She was going to become a Jedi.


	14. Chapter 14

Han glared down at the large galactic holomap in front of him. Three weeks. It had been three weeks since Leia had left and not one thing had gone the Alliance's way since.

Firstly, there was the complete and utter radio silence from the Alliance's spies aboard the Executor. A week's silence was not unusual for them, and occurred routinely to maximise their safety, but two weeks without a single word was concerning and three... Well, the implications were grim.

Then, there were the concerning rumours from the outer rim territories about the death of Jabba the Hutt and his followers at the gangster's palace on Tatooine. Apparently, it had been a slaughter, and that was putting it nicely. The news of the Hutt's death had initially come off as a welcome shock—it meant one less concern for the Alliance. But as they had delved deeper into the rumours, they had found that perhaps they had rejoiced too soon. For whilst the Hutt's death could almost be considered a good thing, the _manner_ of his death was certainly not. Because the Hutt had died by the strike of a _lightsaber_ —and so had many of his mercenaries. Now since lightsabers weren't the most common of weapons, one would naturally assume Vader to be responsible for the massacre, but this just wasn't his _style_. The Sith Lord rarely used his lightsaber against enemies, but when he did, it was for murdering Jedi, not uncouth gangsters and their followers. So that could only mean one thing: someone else had done this. But who—and why? Ultimately, they didn't know, although Han had a feeling that the answer lay within the details of the third—and final—issue that the Alliance was currently dealing with: the attacks on their small outposts stationed around the galaxy.

Han’s mouth stretched into a thin, tight line as his eyes fell to the three red crosses marked on the holomap in front of him. Three red crosses for three destroyed bases. Each attack had come so swiftly that the Alliance hadn’t realised what was going on until it was over, and then all they could do was mop up the bodies. Bodies which had been riddled with laser bolts—and the occasional jagged burn of a _lightsaber_. There were whispers that a new Sith had emerged and that he was working for the Empire. Most of the Alliance leaders tried to hush these rumours. After all, they were in a worse enough state as it was. They didn’t need that kind of fear to spread amongst the troops. But as Han looked up at the Rebels entering the control room and skimmed over their weary faces, he knew they were making a terrible mistake in doing so. Because this new Sith was real—Han was certain of it—and from the surveys of the destroyed bases, it seemed that he showed no mercy. He was a threat, and if they kept denying it, it would come back to strike them in the face. But no one seemed to want to acknowledge that idea right now. They were all so focused on trying to determine the motives behind the attacks so that they could predict where the next one would occur. So far, however, they hadn’t been anywhere near successful.

But once again, Han thought he had an answer. Only he couldn’t check, because the damned Princess had changed the code to her room before she had left, which meant that all the information about Project Cataclysm and its ‘failsafes’ were firmly out of his reach. Because, yes, he had a feeling this had to do with the Princess’s pet project. He just cursed himself for not paying as much attention to the information she had showed him as he should have. But then again, she shouldn't have cut him off like that. Because now people’s lives were in danger—just like he had told her they would be—and he was helpless to stop it. That was the worst part.

Han rubbed at his temples with his fingertips and sank into the closest chair as Mon Mothma and Admiral Ackbar entered the room. Everyone quietened and turned their gazes on the Rebel leaders, but Han’s gaze never left the holomap, his mind running over ideas for how to save the rest of the outposts. Because they needed to fight back—and soon—or else the Empire would figure out that outposts were just a decoy to keep them from finding out about the true nature of Project Cataclysm.

 

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Leia breathed in deeply, centering herself in the mystical energy field of the Force, letting the waves of its peaceful energy wash over her. Then, she reached out, feeling the objects around her, seeing their forms, their shapes, even though her eyes were closed to the light. She exhaled slowly as she curled her Force grip around the nearest object—a large, moss-covered stone. She focused for a moment, mindful of her where her presence was, and then delved into the Force to lift the rock off the ground.

Getting the first one was the trickiest, she had found. After that, lifting everything else was as easy as reciting her own name, and soon enough, she was surrounded by stones, their dull grey masses hovering anywhere from just off the ground to way above her head. Now she understood why Luke had been so fascinated by the Force. It was an incredible feeling to use its energy. So much power, but also so much peace.

It was needless to say that she had learned much in the past few weeks.

“Enough for today, that is,” came the voice of Yoda, her master, who she had greatly come to respect over the course of her training. “Done well, you have. But now I must rest.”

Leia gently lowered the stones, a soft crease lining her brow.

“But Master Yoda, it’s not even noon. I can still learn so much more today…. Master Yoda?”

Leia’s eyes flashed with concern as she caught sight of the little green alien. He was leaning heavily on the side of his hut, his walking stick at his feet. Leia scrambled up off the ground, but Yoda held up a hand.

“Your help I do not need. Continue training without me. Rest, I will.”

Leia stared in concerned silence as the Jedi Master slowly picked up his cane and ambled into his hut. Leia turned a glance on Artoo, who stood a couple of metres away. The astromech swiveled his head a couple of times and then gave a few sad, but uncertain beeps. Leia frowned as a sinking feeling began to develop in her stomach. Was Yoda going to be okay? Would she be able to complete her training?

She shook her head and sat back down, trying her best to reassure herself. Yes, she would complete her training. She had come so far already, she wasn’t going to fall short now. And as for Yoda, he was old. He needed rest. She had never seen him look so tired and frail before though…

But she had been away from the Alliance for three weeks now. She couldn’t stay away much longer. That was why she had to put all of her effort into training, even if Yoda wasn’t there to help her. So, she pushed her concerning thoughts aside and sank her mind back into the Force.

The calming energy field welcomed her, beckoning her forward into its depths, and she willingly followed. She still hadn’t managed to find the answers she was after, but that didn’t mean she had stopped trying. Every spare moment she had was used to search the Force, to speak to it, to listen. Most of the time she found nothing, but occasionally she would come across a strange darkness. And today was one of those days.

Leia recoiled slightly as the cold, ominous feeling danced at the back of her mind. It didn’t frighten her—not when she was awake, at least—but it did give her the feeling that something bad was going to happen, and that made her uneasy. Countless times, she had woken in the middle of the night, sweat-drenched and screaming because a dark figure shrouded in the cowl of the Dark Side had tried to kill her. Leia breathed in deeply and let the Force calm her. It was the only way she could move past the darkness, the only way she could let it slide by. And slide by it did—the darkness receded and light shone through and Leia’s head spun as a thousand images flashed across her eyes.

Green eyes, darkened and glinting. Hands, covered in blood. Han— _Han!_ —falling at the feet of a dark figure. A flash of a red lightsaber. Then a flash of green and a shower of sparks. Darkness over ice, lit up by brilliant flashes. People screaming in the distance. Hands, lingering over a red button.

Leia gasped as her vision went white and chills ricocheted down her spine. Artoo was at her side, shaking and beeping wildly and she swatted at him as she pushed herself up off the ground. Her head was still spinning and the images still splashing across her mind as she stumbled towards the entrance to Yoda’s hut.

“Master Yoda,” she called out, as she sank to her knees and crawled through the tiny doorway. “Master Yoda, I… I had a vision. Han… he was… Was it the future? What do I—”

But she stopped as she caught sight of the Jedi. He was curled up under a blanket, eyes half closed, and he looked so frail that Leia’s vision swam instantly.

“Master Yoda?” she asked, quietly making her way over to the bed.

“A vision, you had,” Yoda nodded stiffly, his voice no more than a broken whisper. “The future, it was.”

Leia stared in silence, concern etched on her features. The images had been bad enough, but the feeling that had come with it… If that was the future, then she needed to do something. But what _could_ she do? She wasn’t a Jedi yet. She couldn’t go up against Darth Vader. She needed to continue her training.

But her friends needed her!

“Master Yoda, what do I do?” she asked quietly.

“Your decision, that is. Soon, I will be unable to help you.”

“What do you mean?”

“Forever sleep, I will.”

Leia’s eyes widened slightly. “No, Master Yoda. I need your help. You can’t die!”

“Need me, you may, but on your own, you can still learn. A great Jedi, will you be, Leia. A great Jedi… you already are.”

Leia shook her head. No! This couldn’t be happening. She had only been here three weeks. She still had so much to learn! How was she meant to go on alone?

“Something for you, I have,” Yoda croaked, and Leia was barely able to make out his words. “There… on the table.”

Leia brushed her hair out of her face and turned to look at the table. On its surface sat a small, wooden box. Leia looked at Yoda again, before taking the box into her hands. She lifted the lid slowly and her eyes widened as she laid eyes on the green crystal inside.

“Thank you, Master,” she whispered, eyes glittering.  

“For when you are ready.”

“Will I ever be ready?”

“Yes,” Yoda whispered, and just by the tone of his voice did Leia know that the old Jedi was swiftly running out of time. “Leia…”

Leia listened in silence.

“You are not alone… Strong you must be. Overcome… the Dark Side you must… Do not underestimate Vader… or his... apprentice…”

The last words were barely audible, but Leia caught them nonetheless. Her eyes widened significantly, but she didn’t have time to consider their meaning, for the form of her teacher glowed suddenly with soft, white light, before slowly disappearing into the Force. The blankets fell softly onto the bed and Leia stared, vision blurred. She didn’t know what to do, so she bowed her head and let the Force take her mind.

 

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It was early morning in the region of Catarya where the Rebel outpost was located and the birds were only just beginning to awaken with song, yet the small band of troops making their way up the mountain had been awake for hours. The flight had been long and boring, and most were itching for a little action, especially the dark, hooded figure who led the group. His silver and black saber swung from his belt as he nimbly made his way over rocks and tree stumps.

The only indication so far that this area of the planet was inhabited was the large energy readings they were currently getting off the scanner. However, as they progressed up the mountain, they could begin to make sight of a grey, decent-sized building situated on top of the rise. It was covered in fallen branches and leaf litter and looked quite uninhabited, but it coincided with the energy readings, so there was no doubt that this was the Rebel outpost they were looking for.

Luke halted and signalled his troops to do the same.

“Just like the past three times,” he said, turning to face the small squadron of stormtroopers. “Quickly and quietly. Make sure none of them get away.”

“Yes, sir,” chanted the troops, some giving a small acknowledging salute. They primed their weapons and took a couple of steps forward, but Luke held up his hand.

“I want one of them alive this time,” he said, blue eyes flickering up to the building. “I want to send a message.”

There were nods of acknowledgement throughout the group and then they were off, moving much quicker than before, but no less quieter. They had the building surrounded within a minute, with the Rebels blissfully unaware of their presence. Or, at least, that was how it looked until one of the stormtroopers kicked the door in.

Luke only had a second to react as the doorway erupted into flames. He ducked and rolled, narrowly missing the debris that the explosion sent flying at them. But two of his troopers weren’t so lucky and Luke hissed a curse as he watched their lifeless bodies hit the ground with chilling thuds. He turned a wicked gaze on the building. Laser bolts were flying haphazardly out of the doorway now and a couple of his troopers were bravely firing back. Luke ignited his saber with a _snap-hiss_ and pushed himself up onto his feet. Oh, these Rebels were going to pay for killing his men.

He brought his saber up into a defensive block as he approached the doorway and extended his senses. His troopers pulled back a bit to let him pass, but did not stop firing. And neither did the Rebels, although they probably regretted that a moment later. As soon as Luke stepped into the crossfire, his saber became a blur of red light and sparks. The Rebels’ laser bolts ricocheted off of his blade and sizzled straight back at them. Two fell almost instantly. The third stopped firing as soon as he realised it was a bad idea, but fell a second later as a blast from the stormtroopers caught him in the chest.

Luke pressed forward with his troops following close behind. His lightsaber hummed at his side, eager for more blood. Luke rounded a corner and was forced to duck and roll once again as a barrage of blaster fire poured out at him. He pulled himself up into a crouch and deflected the incoming bolts with ease, although none of them rebounded back at their targets this time for the Rebels were quick to disappear from the end of the corridor.

Luke stormed forward, but let his troopers take the lead as they approached the corner. A quick check of the next room resulted in an all clear, and they moved forward yet again. Luke extended his senses. The Rebels were eager to get away, but more so to defend the codes. The few who remained, were holed up in the room down the corridor. Luke could sense their edginess but he could also sense their determination. They were not going down without a fight. But neither was he and neither were his troops. He reached out into the Force and a smile graced his lips as he located the rest of his squad.

Luke and his troops moved quickly up to the doorway, but he held them back as he extended his senses, waiting for the right moment. A couple of seconds later his senses buzzed and he yelled, “Now!”

They pushed through the doorway just as the rest of the squad entered from the back. The Rebels snapped off a couple of shots, which Luke promptly deflected, but dropped their blasters a moment later after realising they were surrounded.

Luke turned his saber off and gave a nod in the direction of his troops who had come in the back door. All of them had their weapons pointed at the Rebels and were currently forcing them to their knees.

“Nice work, men,” he said as he moved over to the computer terminal situated at the side of the room and began tapping some keys. It took him less than a minute to find what he was looking for. He inserted a data card and began the transfer. Then, he turned to face the Rebels.

“I commend you for putting up quite a fight,” he said. “But, unfortunately, you’re all going to meet the same fate as your friends at the other outposts.”

The Rebels didn’t say anything, but shot him filthy looks.

“Speaking of which, how did you know we were coming?”

“We’re not as dumb as you’d like to think,” came a voice from behind him.

Luke cursed, whipped his saber out and spun around all in the same motion. His blade sliced cleanly through the large blaster pointed at his back and then doubled back to swiftly remove the Rebel’s head from his shoulders. The body fell to the floor with a thud and Luke stared down at it for a moment, chest rising and falling with adrenaline.

“Remember your orders,” he said, as he turned back to face his troops. “I want one of them—”

But he stopped as the Rebels’ eyes widened. Luke frowned slightly, but then he noticed the look in their eyes. It was recognition. But how would they—oh. He cursed swiftly as he realised that his hood must have slipped in his rush to defend himself. He stared at the Rebels for another couple of moments, taking in their shocked and scared expressions, before he dropped his chin and sighed.

“I was going to let one of you live,” he said almost regretfully as he took a few slow steps forward. “But there’s no way I can allow that now. It’s your own fault, really.”

“Commander Sky—”

“Kill them,” Luke ordered his troops, his gaze hardening as he cut the young Rebel off.

The Rebel’s eyes widened as the stormtroopers opened fire and Luke turned back to the computer terminal where the data had just finished transferring. He would have done the deed himself, but he was too angry at the fact that he had slipped up—both in terms of not realising the Rebel was behind him and because he had accidentally revealed himself. It had cost him a messenger, which meant…

“We’re moving the fifth attack up,” Luke growled as he pulled out the data card and pocketed it. “Prep your weapons and get back to the ship. The system’s not far from here, it’ll only take us an hour to get there. Don’t bother sending a distress signal and leave the dead.”

He turned from the terminal and stormed out of the room before his troops could even utter a response.

 

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Leia sat quietly on the nose of her x-wing, staring absently at the small hut which she could see through the trees. The lights in its windows had long since gone out, never to be rekindled. The air was hot and thick, but her bones felt cold.

She was alone.

Yoda had told her that she wasn’t, but she didn’t know what that meant. Had he been talking about Ben? Because that certainly didn’t comfort her. Yoda, unlike the secretive old wizard, had been helpful—taught her the things she wanted to know. And now he was gone…

Leia didn’t know what to do. She supposed she had better leave—return to the Alliance and to her friends. After all, from what she had seen in the vision, it looked like they were in danger—grave danger, if the initial vision which had driven her here was anything to go by. But part of her didn’t want to leave. She had found peace here. Solace. She supposed she could take that with her, but there was just something about this place… Sometimes she thought it was because Luke had been here once—learnt the same things she had. She sighed and turned to look at Artoo, who was slotted snugly in his socket in the x-wing. But if she didn’t leave, who else would she lose? She had lost Luke and now Yoda… She didn’t know what she’d do if she lost Han…

Leia closed her eyes and breathed in deeply.

And what about Vader’s supposed apprentice? Certainly that didn’t bode well for the Alliance—or for the galaxy, for that matter. Just the thought of another Sith Lord sent chills down her spine. There was no way she was a match for either of them. She needed more training.

But she wasn’t going to get that right now. And her friends needed her. She sighed. She could continue to learn the ways of the Force after she had made sure they were alright.

Leia took one last look at Yoda’s hut and then picked herself up and clambered into the x-wing cockpit. She fired up the converters and flicked some switches. The x-wing didn’t sound too good after three weeks of inactivity, but it lifted gently off the ground, nonetheless, and soon, they were climbing through Dagobah’s atmosphere.

Leia had no idea where the Alliance currently were and she didn’t have any way to contact them. But she had the Force and she let it control her actions as she plotted her course for hyperspace. She took a deep breath, making a quick check of her mental shields—what with two Sith Lords now, she had to be extra careful not to reveal herself—and then pulled the lever. The stars stretched and warped and she was gone in an instant, leaving the swampy planet of Dagobah far behind.

 

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They didn't even try to be subtle this time. The shuttle swung low and fast towards the small Rebel outpost, lasers firing. The floor in front of the haphazard building exploded in clouds of dust and rock as the shuttle sped past overhead. They came round for another pass, this time making targets out of the two Rebels scurrying towards the nearby laser turrets. The bodies were launched into the air as the ground beneath them exploded.

“That’s enough,” Luke commanded from behind the pilot’s chair. “Put us down.”

The bursts of laser fire ceased and the engines whined as the pilot swung them low over a small clearing to the side of the outpost. Within seconds of the landing struts making contact with the ground, Luke and his team were out and on the offensive.

Blaster bolts sizzled towards them, but none made their mark. The Rebel’s shots were sloppy in the sudden and unexpected dash to defend the base. Luke deflected two bolts and stalked forwards, cloak billowing behind him and hood drawn low over his face.

“I’ll handle this,” he growled to his men. “Cover me.”

Quick acknowledgements followed his command and the stormtroopers fell back. Ahead, the Rebels were taking cover in the rubble. Luke’s eyes flashed as he felt the Dark Side swirl within him. Why he had put off embracing it for so long, he didn’t know. He was just glad that he had finally given in. The Dark Side was power— _unlimited power_ —and he could feel it coursing through his veins as he lifted his saber and swung it viciously at the nearest Rebel.

Despite the chaos of screams and blaster fire, Luke’s senses were crystal clear. He could sense every Rebel in the vicinity. He could feel their emotions. He could feel their _deaths_. But as much as he wanted to murder every single one of them out of revenge for his fallen troopers, he was not going to fail again. He wanted to send a message to the Alliance - he wanted them to realise how serious this was. Maybe then, they’d finally send out some interesting opponents for him. Like a certain princess, perhaps? Luke grinned to himself as he cut down two more Rebels. Oh how he was looking forward to the day where he would finally reveal himself to her—to the look on her face when she realised what her actions had wrought. Because the entire Alliance was going to pay for what she had done. Not only had she abandoned him to the cells of the Executor and hours of inhumane torture, but she had never trusted him to begin with. And honestly, that hurt a lot more than the torture had. He had considered them friends— _family_ , even. They had been through so much together and then it turned out that she had been dishonest with him the entire time. He had thought they had had a connection of some sort.

But none of that mattered now. He had found his real family. He had found his true destiny and he had found a path to more power than he had ever thought possible. This was who he was now. Vader’s apprentice—Vader’s _son_. Sith Lord and faithful servant of the Empire.

Two more Rebels fell at his feet, smoke curling upwards from the deep burns on their chests. Luke moved forward swiftly. There were only three Rebels left now and, like in the previous attack, they were holed up in a small room at the end of the building.

Luke’s cloak swished softly over the floor as he made his way through the thin passageways of the building to a small, grey door behind which the Rebels were hiding. Luke readjusted his grip on his saber hilt, took a deep breath and then burst through the door.

Blaster bolts flew at him in an instant but he swiftly deflected them to the ceiling and reached through the Force for the neck of the closest Rebel.

“Stop or I’ll snap his neck,” he growled as he deflected another laser bolt.

The two Rebels still firing looked confused for a second, but then glanced at their companion, who was swiftly turning a concerning shade of purple, and instantly pulled their fingers off the triggers. They didn’t, however, lower their weapons. Luke eyed them carefully for a moment, then released his grip on the third Rebel. The man fell to the floor, coughing and sputtering. His companions watched in silent concern, then one raised his head to look at Luke.

“What do you want?” the man asked.

“I’m here for the codes, of course,” Luke replied.

“We’ll never give them to you,” spat the other Rebel.

Luke smiled. “I don’t need you to give them to me. I am perfectly fine with taking them myself.”

There was a pause as the meaning behind those words sunk in.

“Then why are we still alive?” the Rebel on the right asked cautiously.

“Because I need a messenger,” Luke answered as he made his way over to the computer terminal and began his search. Turning his back to the Rebels was a risk when they were still armed, but he was certain that their attention was on him for the moment and not on the blasters in their hands.

“A messenger?”

“Yes,” Luke replied as he located the codes and began transferring them to a data card. “But only one.”

There was an uneasy silence and Luke sensed that the Rebels were giving each other concerned looks.

“So, who will it be?” he asked as he removed the data card and turned back to face them.

The Rebels didn’t reply.

“If you don’t choose, I will,” Luke said, blue eyes flitting across the scared faces in front of him.

Again, no one answered.

Luke sighed and closed his eyes, letting the Dark Side fill his being. He felt it running through his veins, lifting the hairs on his arms and twisting his lips into a smirk.

A loud _snap_ resounded around the room, swiftly followed by a second, then a gasp and two heavy thuds. Luke opened his eyes.

The Rebel directly opposite him—the one who had spoken second—stood wide eyed and pale. One hand covered his mouth, while the other still gripped his blaster. He looked up from the bodies on the floor and turned his gaze on Luke. His brown eyes glittered for a moment in shock and fear. Then an odd emotion, which Luke didn’t have time to recognise, flashed across his face and he lifted his blaster.

“No!” Luke yelled, wrenching the blaster from the man’s grip with the Force before it could make it to his temple. He shoved the man backwards into the wall and stepped forward, snaking his hand around the man’s neck. The Rebel’s eyes bulged a little at the sudden pressure and his hands gripped at Luke’s, trying to tear them off.

“I am giving you your life,” Luke hissed, bringing his face dangerously close to the man’s. “You would be a fool to throw it away just to spite me.”

“I’ll… never do anything… for you,” the Rebel choked out in a husky whisper.

Luke tightened his grip and the Rebel gasped, his struggles to free his neck intensifying.

“Yes, you will,” Luke said, and he let the influencing tones of the Force enter his voice as he spoke his next words. “You will return to the Alliance and tell them that Vader’s apprentice sends his regards. Also tell them that the Princess should have been more careful with her pet project.”

The man blinked and Luke relaxed his grip as he made to speak.

“I will return to the Alliance,” the man repeated, eyes a little glossy. “And tell them that Vader’s apprentice sends his regards. Also, the Princess should have been more careful with her pet project.”

“Very good,” Luke said, taking a step back. “Now I suggest you get on your way.”

The man nodded and moved swiftly from the room. Luke watched him leave. He had no doubt that the man would do as he had ordered. Now, he just had to wait and see how the Alliance responded. Hopefully, his words might strike a chord with the Princess and coax her out of hiding. That would bring Han, too—and Chewie. He grinned. The old team, back together. Only they weren’t a team any more—they weren’t even on the _same_ team—and Luke most definitely did not have a friendly get together in mind.

He glanced down at the bodies at his feet and then turned and left the room.

 

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A loud beeping noise from the dash wrenched Leia out of her meditative state. She blinked a couple of times, taking a moment to become aware of her surroundings, before she realised what the beeping was and quickly pulled the ship out of hyperspace.

The blue swirls in front of her quickly receded and the Alliance fleet appeared. Leia heaved a sigh of relief. She knew that she could trust the Force to guide her, but it was still so new and unfamiliar to her that she had been afraid that she might have done something wrong. But, luckily, her course had been true and now she was back home.

Leia flipped a couple of switches and then transmitted a coded request to board. Although the uncertainty she had felt about trusting the Force to return her to the Alliance had all but passed, a new level of uneasiness was beginning to stir inside her, and it worsened every second as she received no response from the Alliance. But finally, just when she was beginning to think that they weren’t going to allow her to board, her ship’s comms crackled, and a curt voice rang out, “Proceed.”

Leia pushed up her thrusters, hands a little shaky from nerves, and soared down towards Home One’s main hangar bay.

It didn’t take her long to reach the bay, and once she was inside, she set the x-wing down in the middle of the shiny floor. She switched off the engines and popped the cockpit. Lifting her restraints, she clambered out of the cockpit and jumped to the floor, landing softly with the grace that her newfound Force abilities had given her. She slipped off her helmet and pilot’s gloves and looked around, nerves rolling in her stomach.

No one to greet her.

She had at least expected _someone_ to be there to meet her. Han, perhaps. Although maybe she was being too wishful with that. After all, she had left abruptly for three weeks with only a short, vague note as explanation. Yes, she was definitely being too wishful. If anything, she’d be lucky if Han even spoke to her.

Leia turned around as Artoo whistled something from behind her. The little astromech had lowered himself to the ground using his repulsors and was now ambling towards her.

“No, no one to meet us, Artoo,” she said quietly. “I guess I’ll just have to go find them myself.”

Artoo tootled a response.

“No, it’s okay. You don’t have to come with me. Actually, I’d like you to take this to my room,” she said, pulling the small wooden box that Yoda had given her out of her pocket. She held it out to Artoo, who took it with an acknowledging beep and placed it safely within one of his compartments. Then, the little droid turned and began heading for the hangar bay door.

Leia watched him go and then sighed to herself. She placed her helmet and gloves back in the cockpit and then made in the same direction that Artoo had.

It felt strange to be back. She had gotten so used to the hot, damp swamps of Dagobah over the past three weeks that she had almost forgotten what it was like to walk through squeaky-clean, white passageways. And speaking of clean… Leia looked down at her pilot fatigues. She could probably do with a shower—a very long and intense shower—but that would have to wait for now.

It was almost no time at all before she arrived at the door of the command room. She hadn’t asked for directions - she hadn’t even thought about it. The Force must have guided her here. And, judging by the two guards at the door, this was where she was going to find the Alliance leaders, and maybe even Han. She took a deep breath and stepped forward.

But the two guards stopped her, shaking their heads.

“Sorry, Princess, but you’re not allowed in,” the one on the left said.

“But, I—”

“The meeting will be finished in a number of minutes. You can wait ‘til then.”

Leia was about to argue, but instead settled for an acknowledging dip of the head and stepped back to lean against the opposite wall. She breathed in deeply and then exhaled slowly. It had been so easy to control her emotions on Dagobah and now she realised why—there had been no one else’s thoughts and emotions affecting hers. But now that she was surrounded by a ship full of people, it was a little overwhelming, especially since she had never been so attuned to the Force before. She could sense people moving in the corridors above her and she could sense the feelings of the people in the room in front of her, but at the moment it was all a big mess and it was making her head spin.

Leia clenched her fists in her uniform and thought back to Yoda’s teachings. In order to separate the different feelings from the Force, she first had to be at peace. She breathed in again and exhaled, letting her mind sink into the folds of the Force. If the guards were looking at her strangely, she didn’t care. There were more important things than having your mental health questioned and right now there was only one thing on her mind: Vader’s apprentice. She had to warn the Alliance about him before it was too late.

Leia opened her eyes as the door to the command room swished open and immediately stepped forward into the exiting traffic. Some walked past her without a glance, but most turned surprised gazes on her as she pushed her way into the room. Whispers announced her presence to those who remained in the room—Mon Mothma, Ackbar, Han, Skyro and a handful of other important delegates. All of them turned to face her at the same time and she stopped dead in her tracks, the words she had intended on saying swept clean from her mouth.

Suddenly, the nerves she had felt in the hangar bay returned and she shifted slightly on the spot. For once in her life she felt thoroughly overwhelmed by the stares she was attracting. And it was getting worse because now some of those expressions were beginning to lose their shocked value—Han’s namely. Leia’s eyes flicked to the ex-smuggler just in time to see his face turn into a scowl. He almost seemed to growl and then turned away from the table he was standing at, as if he was unable to look at her. Leia’s heart trembled, but she turned her gaze on Mon Mothma, frantically trying to think of something to say. But what could she say? She had effectively abandoned them for three weeks without any notice and then returned out of the blue with a severe warning for them all. She couldn’t exactly explain everything in one sentence.

But luckily, Mon Mothma found her voice before Leia did.

“You’re lucky you made it back when you did,” she said, her face resuming its usual calm and collected look. “An hour later and we’d be gone.”

Leia nodded, dropping her gaze. She was grateful that she had not been scolded for her actions—or worse, dismissed. What she had done was certainly worthy of a dismissal, especially since she held such a high status in the Alliance. But then again, that was probably what saved her. She had been here so long that Mon Mothma and the others knew she would never betray them, especially not after the Empire had destroyed her people and her planet.

“I have news,” Leia said, looking up again.

“As do we,” Mon Mothma said. “We have decided it is time to find a new base.”

Leia frowned, her warning about Vader’s apprentice momentarily forgotten.

“A base?” she echoed. “I thought we had decided not to do that given the current situation with the Empire.”

“The situation with the Empire has escalated,” Mon Mothma replied. “It is a necessary risk that we must take. We are losing too many outposts and we must start fighting back. And for that, we need a place to coordinate our attacks.”

“Outposts? What do you mean?” Leia asked.

“A lot has happened since you left,” said Ackbar. “We’ve lost three small outposts and we—”

“Five, actually,” came a voice from behind them.

Everyone turned to look at the newcomer standing in the doorway. It was a young Rebel dressed in worn fatigues. He had red rims under his eyes and a slight bruising across his throat. Leia could practically feel the exhaustion emanating off of him.

“Five?” repeated Mon Mothma, concerned etched deep in her voice.

Leia turned a confused gaze on the Alliance leaders. She had thought nothing would happen in her time away from the Alliance, but she had clearly been wrong. She was still terribly confused, but she thought it best not to interrupt, so she listened intently as the Rebel stepped forward.

“Yes,” he replied. “My base on Risnor was attacked, as was the base on Catarya. I have just been informed that three other attacks have occurred previously, so that makes five lost in total.”

Han, who had turned back around to face the young Rebel, cursed softly.

“Were there any survivors?” Ackbar asked.

The Rebel shook his head. “No, sir. Only me.”

“How did you escape?” Leia asked.

The Rebel turned his gaze on her and he seemed to hesitate for a moment, before responding.

“I was asked to deliver a message,” he said quietly.

“And what is that message?”

The Rebel’s eyes flickered to Mon Mothma and then clockwise around the room before they finally settled back on Leia. It was clear that the man was nervous and if his base had just been destroyed, it was likely he was still in shock. He hesitated another moment, then took a deep breath.

“Vader’s apprentice sends his regards,” he said.

The room sunk into a deadly silence and Leia almost took a step back. Of all the things that the man could have said, she had definitely not been expecting _those_. Vader’s apprentice… She had wanted to warn the Alliance before it was too late, but if he was somehow involved in these attacks… She had failed greatly.

Leia’s mind was racing, struggling to put together the few details she had been given, but her concentration was broken as the Rebel continued.

“And… he said that the Princess should have been more careful with her pet project.”

Leia’s bones chilled and she stared at the Rebel. A second ago her mind had been racing, now it had completely stopped. She could feel the stares of the other Alliance members on her back and she could hear Han curse loudly, but still her gaze didn’t drop from the Rebel.

“I’m not sure I quite understand that part,” murmured the man, “but he asked me to tell you, so I did.”

“Thank you,” Mon Mothma responded. She sounded a little shaken, but of all the people in the room, she was probably the most composed right now. Leia, especially, was still out of it, gazing off into space with a look of dread on her face. “Is there anything else you can tell us about Vader’s… apprentice?”

“I… Not much,” the Rebel replied. “He carried a red lightsaber and he wore a dark cloak that covered his face... although…”

“Yes?” Mon Mothma prompted.

“He got close to me and his eyes…” the Rebel murmured. “I think they were blue…But I’m not sure. I was awfully terrified.”

“That’s understandable,” Mon Mothma replied, her voice taking on smooth, comforting tones.

The Rebel’s eyes took on a glazed, far-off look as he continued. “He… he killed two of my friends right in front of me. He… snapped their necks but he… he didn’t even touch them.”

By now, the man’s eyes were wide and glistening as he looked at the Alliance council members. Most of the people in the room were shocked into silence, no doubt running the mental image of necks snapping between invisible fingers through their minds, except for one young female delegate. She stepped forward and put a comforting hand on the man’s shoulder.

“How ‘bout we go find you a bed and some food,” she said in soft, comforting tones.

The man stared at her for a moment, eyebrows curved and eyes wide, but then he nodded.

The woman shot a glance back over her shoulder to make sure that it was okay if she escorted the man from the room. Mon Mothma nodded softly, and then the two of them left. The door swished shut behind them, leaving an uneasy silence in the air.

Leia felt like she couldn’t breathe. She stepped back slowly and fell into the nearest chair. She had felt so confident before—confident in her abilities, confident in the Force and most of all, confident that everything was about to go their way. But oh, the scales were definitely not tipping in their direction right now. Vader’s apprentice was one thing, but the _Project_? How had the Empire even found out about that?

By the time Leia had found her voice again, the Alliance council members were already in deep conversation. One of them, even, had disappeared to issue the message that the fleet would be making a hyperspace jump in less than ten minutes.

“What were the names of the other planets where the outposts were destroyed?” she whispered.

Everyone turned to regard her quietly.

Then, Ackbar answered, “Po’qua, Glyiing and Iwah.”

Leia cursed softly.

“They all have to do with the Project, don’t they?” Mon Mothma asked.

Leia looked up, feeling her cheeks redden with shame.

“Yes,” she answered.

“What are they after?”

“Codes.”

“Real ones?”

“No.”

Most people in the room were following the exchange with mild looks of confusion. Only Han and Ackbar had any idea what was going on.

“We need to pull the troops out,” Mon Mothma said finally, after giving Leia a long look.

“No, we can’t!” Leia responded. “If we do that, then the Empire will realise it’s just a ruse. We need to keep them off the scent of the real Project.”

“Innocent men are dying,” Han said coldly, looking to Ackbar and Mon Mothma. It was clear from his tone—and from his refusal to look at her—that he was mad at her. And most likely mad about the Project too.

“Then we start defending them,” said Ackbar. “We can analyse the locations of the previous attacks and predict where they might strike next. How does that sound, Princess?”

“Sounds good to me,” Leia replied after a moment’s consideration. “We’ll need to act soon, though. We’ve already failed to protect five outposts. If we don’t defend any more, the Empire might become suspicious.”

“Which is why we are headed to Myuko now,” Ackbar said. “If the conditions are good, we will set up a temporary base and from there we will be able to properly survey the destroyed bases and also make the preparations necessary for any defensive attacks we might launch.”

“So this base will be close to the destroyed outposts?” Leia asked.

“Close, but not close enough that the Empire will suspect we’re there.”

“And what if our position is leaked?” Leia asked pointedly. She wasn’t exactly happy about the decision to set up a base, however temporary it might be, but she figured she was in no position to challenge it right now.

Ackbar sighed. “We will just have to trust that everyone on this council is loyal to the Alliance. No one else will know the location. And besides, it may not even be suitable for our purposes. There was once a base on Myuko, but it was attacked about a year ago. The survivors and the rescue team fled in such a hurry that we have no idea whether it’s still inhabitable or not.”

“I see,” Leia said, folding her arms. “And if it’s not what we’re looking for?”

“Then we go somewhere else.”

Leia nodded slowly. “And what about Vader’s apprentice?”

“It’s concerning news,” answered Mon Mothma. “Although it explains a lot.”

Leia shot the Rebel leader a curious look.

“The brief reports we’ve had of the attacks so far indicate that some of the troops were killed by lightsaber,” Mon Mothma elaborated. “It also explains the slaughter at Jabba’s palace on Tatooine.”

“Slaughter at Jabba’s palace?” Leia repeated.

“Yes. Both Jabba and his band of mercenaries were all killed by lightsaber. At least, that’s how the rumours have it.”

Leia’s brow creased a little. It was unusual for the Empire to make an attack on the Hutt’s, but she guessed it meant one less concern for the Alliance.

Leia looked up as she heard the ship’s engines whine and then kick in with an almighty roar.

“Well, we’re on our way,” said Ackbar. “We should begin our preparations for the survey of the base on Myuko. Leia, I am assigning you to the team that will go down to the surface, along with General Solo. Captain Skyro will lead the mission, since he has been to the base before and therefore has the best knowledge of how to get there and what to expect.”

“I understand,” Leia said. “Thank you, Admiral.”

“Well, you all know your orders. Meeting adjourned,” said Ackbar.

There were nods of acknowledgement around the room and then everybody began shuffling towards the door.

“Han!” Leia called, but he walked right past her.

She sighed and was about to sit down again when Skyro came up beside her.

“You know, I didn’t think you were going to come back,” he said, green eyes glittering in the light of the command room. His voice was much quieter than usual and there was no sign of the playful enthusiasm that she had become so accustomed to expect of the young captain.

Leia looked at him.

“You lied to me,” he continued when she didn’t say anything. His words weren’t cold like she had been expecting, but they did fill her with guilt nonetheless.

Leia sighed, dropping her head. “I know. I’m sorry, Skyro, but I couldn’t tell anyone where I was going. I didn’t even tell Han.”

Skyro nodded. “It’s okay. I assumed it was something important.”

“It was.”

“Then I’m also going to assume that you can’t tell me anything about the Project that Mon Mothma was talking about?”

“No, I’m afraid not,” Leia murmured. Then she looked up at Skyro and gave him a small smile. “So you’re leading the team, are you?”

“Yeah,” Skyro replied, a small smile gracing his lips, although it was nothing like the ones he used to sport. Leia frowned slightly, wondering whether something was wrong. But before she could ask, Skyro continued. “Apparently they thought I’d be a good candidate for the job since I’ve been there before. Thing is, I was only there for the rescue mission. We were in and out within an hour.”

“Has anyone else on the team been there before?”

Skyro shook his head. “No, most of them are on other missions right now, although I currently have one spare spot on the team and Mon Mothma has requested that I ask Clay to join us, but I’m not sure how that’s going to go.”

“How come?” Leia asked.

“Do you remember how he said he’s been through Imperial torture before?”

Leia had to think for a couple of seconds, but then she recalled the moment that Skyro was speaking of. Skyro and her had just returned from flight practice when they had met Clay in the hangar bay.

She nodded slowly. “Yeah, I remember.”

“Myuko was where that happened,” Skyro said quietly. “I was with the rescue team that got him out. He was the only survivor.”

“Oh,” Leia whispered.

“Yeah.” Skyro looked down for a moment. “I’ll ask him because I was ordered to, but I don’t expect him to come. I’m not too enthused about returning and I wasn’t even there for an hour.”

Skyro sighed and then looked at her again. “I should probably go get ready. As should you,” he said.

Leia nodded. Skyro made to move past her but she placed a hand on his arm to stop him. He gave her a curious glance.

“Are you okay?” she asked, her tone earnest. She remembered how Skyro had come to her room the day she had left. There had been something troubling him then and she wondered if it was the same thing troubling him now. But if it was, she doubted he’d tell her since he’d refused to do so last time.

Skyro held her gaze for a moment and then looked away, a slight grimace crossing his lips.

“Yeah, kinda… The last few weeks have been tough, that’s all.”

“Okay,” Leia said quietly, letting her hand trail down his arm until it fell to her side.

Skyro shot her a half-hearted smile and pointed to his face. “At least my black eye is gone.”

Leia laughed and together they made their way out the door.

“Yeah, I guess that’s a good thing.”

 

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Leia jolted awake, clutching at the rim of her seat. She blinked a couple of times and then looked around her, wondering what had woken her.

“We’ve touched down,” came Skyro’s voice from the cockpit and only now did Leia realise where she was. She was in the back of a shuttle and they were on their way to the surface of Myuko. Or, well, they were on the surface now. “We disembark in two minutes. Make sure everything’s prepped.”

Leia jumped to her feet and turned around, reaching for the supply pack that was strapped to the wall above her seat. She slung it over her shoulder and then grabbed her blaster from the rack nearby and slipped it into its holster.

Everyone else was busy doing the same thing, and Leia watched them with a yawn. She hadn’t had much of a chance to sleep on Home One before they were blasting off towards Myuko so she had decided to sleep on the flight. She wasn’t sure if it had helped much, although it had been a good way to stop herself from trying to catch Han’s gaze. He still hadn’t spoken to her and had only made eye contact with her a couple of times on accident. Each time that had happened, he had turned away with scowl.

Leia looked at him now. He was busy checking over his blaster, although he looked up and nodded as Skyro issued him orders. Leia turned her gaze back to Skyro with a sigh.

“Leia, you’ll be with me,” Skyro said. “We’ll all enter from different sides. Be on your guard. The Empire could have set traps in case we ever decided to return.”

There were acknowledging nods around the room, then Skyro flipped the switch on the wall and the shuttle ramp descended. The troops began filing out in their assigned pairs, each heading off in different directions as they set foot on the pavement outside.

Leia watched Han go without a backward glance and then turned her gaze on Skyro who was currently facing Clay. Leia had been surprised that Clay had agreed to the mission, although she had to admire his bravery. Apparently he had been reluctant, but he had wanted to do all he could to help so he had agreed to come, even if it did bring up some painful memories.

Leia watched as Skyro clapped Clay on the arm and gave him a reassuring smile. Clay returned the gesture and then turned to leave the ship with his partner. Leia smiled lightly. Even when he was troubled himself, Skyro still managed to inspire courage in others.

But as soon as Clay disappeared from view, Skyro’s smile faltered.

Leia turned to him, a frown forming on her face as she realised Skyro’s eyes were glistening. His calm and collected persona from before had disappeared in an instant and she could feel a variety of conflicting emotions bubbling off of him through the Force.

“Skyro, what’s wrong?”

Skyro didn’t look at her, and his voice trembled slightly as he spoke. “I shouldn’t be here. I’m a security risk. I shouldn’t be—”

“Skyro, stop. What are you talking about?” Leia asked, concern flashing wildly through her eyes.

“I shouldn’t have been assigned to this mission. I shouldn’t have been given the clearance to know the location. I shouldn’t—”

Skyro was full on hyperventilating now and Leia was completely overwhelmed by the sudden change of events. She hadn’t been expecting this and she didn’t know what to do. But the inner Jedi in her seemed to take over and she laid a comforting hand on Skyro’s arm, letting calming energies flow Skyro’s way.

“Skyro, calm down. Breathe,” she whispered, pushing him softly into the closest seat.

Skyro buried his head in his hands and Leia dropped into a crouch beside him. It only took a couple of moments for Skyro to regain control of his breathing, although his emotions were still as conflicted as ever.

“Skyro, what’s wrong? Why do you think you’re a security risk?” she asked, letting as much calmness into her voice as she could given the situation. She was deeply concerned by Skyro’s sudden outburst and she had no idea what had caused it.

Skyro took a deep breath, but did not lift his head from his hands. He exhaled slowly and then whispered, “I haven’t been honest with you, Leia. I… I’ve been meaning to tell you, but every time I go to do so, something stops me…”

Leia waited in silence, thinking it best to let Skyro tell her in his own time.

“I… Leia, I think…”

Skyro rubbed his face with his hands and then lifted his head, looking her straight in the eyes.

“I think I’m the spy,” he whispered.

 


	15. Chapter 15

“ _What?_ ” Leia exclaimed, eyebrows skyrocketing.

Skyro stared at her, his green eyes wide and scared, as she struggled to comprehend what he had just said.

“No, Skyro, that’s ridiculous! Why would you say such a thing?”

“Because of what happened on Arka III,” he answered, dropping his gaze as if he was ashamed. “I think I’m still under the mind control.”

“But, Skyro, that was months ago! The medics cleared you and your team. If there was any meddling done with your mind, it’s long gone,” Leia consoled him, continuing to send calming energies towards him through the Force.

Skyro shook his head. “I don’t think so… Leia, there are gaps in my memory exactly like when I was captured above Arka, only there are more of them and it’s been happening ever since I returned to the Alliance. I… I tried to tell you, but like I said, something stopped me. Maybe it was the mind control preventing me from telling you.” He looked at her earnestly. “Leia, I shouldn’t be here.”

Leia shook her head. “No, Skyro, that’s nonsense,” she said, believing in every single word she spoke. “Every known form of mind control shows up in some form of medical test and I believe they conducted a ridiculous amount on you and the scouts. Your results were perfect—no tampering at all besides the residual from the first. And these gaps in your memory, they could just be side effects from the initial mind control. I’ve heard that certain techniques can have long lasting effects on the brain. Perhaps it’s one of those.”

“I don’t think so—”

“Skyro,” Leia interrupted, raising a finger to quieten him. She remained silent until he met her gaze, although she could see the reluctance clear in his eyes. “I don’t believe for one second that you are the spy. We can put you through more tests when we return to Home One if you want, but right now we have a job to do. Do you understand?”

Skyro stared at her for a few more moments, then he dropped his head and sighed.

“Yes, I understand, although I still don’t really believe you,” he murmured, clearly trying to push his troubling thoughts aside. “I’m sorry for losing it. It’s just been driving me insane over the past few weeks and with you gone, I’ve had no one to talk to about it.”

“It’s okay, Skyro. I’m glad you finally told me,” Leia replied. “This is what’s been bothering you, isn’t it?”

Skyro nodded, then rubbed at his face again and when he looked up, the glistening in his eyes was gone, replaced by determination.

“We have a job to do,” he said quietly, echoing her words from before.

“Yes, we do,” Leia replied, pulling Skyro to his feet. “And we’re running a bit late so we’d better move it.”

“Yeah, we don’t want people getting the wrong idea about us,” he said with a wink and a smile that was reminiscent of his old spirit. Leia almost found herself blushing, although she quickly covered it with a laugh and a smile of her own. It seemed the old Skyro was back—for now, at least—and until this moment, she hadn’t realised quite how much she had truly missed him.

“Let’s go,” she said, and together they turned towards the open exit and the light beyond.

They quickly descended the shuttle ramp and headed off to the right, keeping low as they skirted the large, grey building that was the old Alliance base. They came to a halt outside a large, black door and Skyro lifted his commlink to his mouth.

“All teams in position?” he asked.

Various affirmatives sounded off through the device.

“Very good. All teams enter on my command. Three, two, one. Now!”

Leia kicked in the door and lifted her blaster, reaching out with her senses for any traps or explosives lining the corridor that stood in front of her. When she was certain it was all clear, she nodded to Skyro and they entered slowly.

“Structure seems pretty intact,” she commented as they made their way down the dimly lit passage.

“Yeah, I didn’t think the Empire would bother destroying the building any more than they did,” Skyro replied. “There was no point, really. It was only a small base. Nothing major was going on here.”

“I’ll take the doors to the left, you take the ones to the right,” Leia suggested as they came across the first sets of doors in the corridor.

“Sounds good to me.”

Leia turned to face her door and Skyro turned to face his. They gave each other a quick countdown and then pushed the doors in.

The room in front of her was so dark that Leia had to pull out her flashlight and even then she could only see a couple metres in front of her. Previously, a room like this would have given her the creeps, but now that she had the Force, she felt more at ease. Her senses weren’t picking up any threats, so she was relatively relaxed as she moved about the room.

She stepped carefully over flipped tables and broken chairs, shining her flashlight into the corners of the room. It looked like the Empire had pretty much trashed the place, although it wouldn’t take too much effort to clear a couple of rooms and set up the necessary equipment for a temporary base.

Once she was satisfied that the room was clear, she met Skyro in the corridor. His room hadn’t been much more interesting than hers apparently.

They continued on down the passageway, checking each room as they went. None were much different from the first—flipped tables, drawers broken, flimsies scattered across the floor.

Leia sighed quietly as she got ready to enter the last room on the left. So far, the base seemed pretty good and the reports from the other groups were all positive as well. It was likely that once they reported back to the Alliance, Mon Mothma and Ackbar would decide to set up a temporary base here. Leia still wasn’t convinced that that was a good idea, but she had to admit, being on land again and having somewhere to wander would be good for everyone in the Alliance. They had been cooped up aboard the ships for so long now that they were beginning to go a little stir crazy. Some fresh air would do them good.

She looked at Skyro, nodded silently and then both of them entered their last room.

Leia squinted into the darkness, lifting her flashlight up to eye level to get a better look. There was something about this end of the corridor that made her skin crawl and her Force senses jitter, but she wasn’t sure what it was.

She turned on the spot, waving her flashlight in front of her when suddenly a sharp beeping noise resounded around the room. Leia jumped and almost dropped her light, but she cursed herself a second later as she realised it was just her commlink going off and not some bomb about to explode.

Leia shook her head at her skittishness and grabbed the device from her belt, lifting it to her lips.

“Leia,” she answered quietly.

“Princess, it’s Enzo,” came the voice from the other end.

“I don’t think now is a good time, Enzo,” Leia murmured as she lifted her flashlight to look around the room again. “I’m on a mission.”

“Yes, I know. I’m sorry, but you asked me to notify you if anything strange happened with the signal you asked me to monitor.”

Leia stopped in her tracks, her attention immediately caught by Enzo’s words.

“The signal the spy has been using?”

“Yes, that one,” Enzo replied. “Look at the time.”

Leia looked at the small display on her wristband.

“One minute past the hour,” she stated, a little confused. What was so special about—oh. “The signal just went off, didn’t it?”

“Yes, but it didn’t go off on Home One.”

Leia froze. “What? Where’d it come from then?” she asked, confused and slightly alarmed.

“It originated from Myuko,” Enzo answered. “I wasn’t able to locate exactly where due to the bouncing but I’ve narrowed it down to be roughly in the vicinity of the base. Whoever the spy is, they’re down there with you.”

Leia’s bones seemed to freeze over as she turned slowly on the spot to look out through the corridor and into the room opposite. Enzo continued to ramble on about the signal, but she didn’t hear him. Her gaze was fixed on Skyro standing with his back turned in the other room, a vivid image flashing through her head.

Green eyes, darkened and glinting.

Green eyes… _Skyro’s_ eyes…

Leia felt frozen. Was Skyro really the spy? But no, that was ridiculous!

But what if his confusion and fear was all an act meant to lure her into believing that he wasn’t the spy when really he was?

“Leia?”

Leia blinked but didn’t drop her gaze from Skyro. “Thank you, Enzo. I’ll speak to you later,” she murmured, before flicking the commlink off and clipping it back to her belt.

Her training kicked in as she stepped forward slowly. Reaching out into the Force, she focused on Skyro’s mind— _truly_ focused—and searched for any signs of treachery. A feeling in her gut made her feel ashamed that she was even considering the possibility that her friend was a traitor, but Skyro’s words earlier and the fact that the signal had gone off from the base made her cautious. She didn’t believe he was an Imperial agent, but perhaps he _was_ still under the mind control…

Leia moved slowly into the room that Skyro had been tasked with investigating. The room was lit significantly brighter than any Leia had entered before and her eyes quickly roamed the contents. A large, silver table stood in the middle of the room with various pieces of grisly looking equipment scattered about it.

“Skyro?” she asked tentatively as she transferred her gaze to the captain.

His face seemed slightly pale and he couldn’t tear his gaze off the room as he spoke.

“This is where it happened,” he whispered.

“What happened?” Leia asked curiously, once again thrown off by the unexpectedness of Skyro’s words.

“Where Clay was tortured—where I rescued him.” Skyro’s eyes were wide and all Leia could sense from him was a sad sort of pained remembrance—nothing treacherous or suspicious. “I can still hear his screams…”

Leia sighed quietly and withdrew her senses from Skyro’s mind. She wasn’t going to get anything out of him right now. His emotions were too strong and would probably mask any suspicious activity. And besides, she wasn’t sure there _was_ anything to get out of him in the first place. But nevertheless, there was a bad feeling at the back of her mind and she wasn’t about to drop her guard any time soon.

Leia laid her hand on his arm and turned to look around the room again—and immediately her eye was caught by a thin, grey door to the right. Her brow creased and she extended her senses towards it. She shivered at the cold feeling that penetrated her mind.

She stepped slowly towards the door, her fingers trailing off of Skyro’s arm to her blaster at her side. She stopped just in front of the door and laid her fingertips on the cold metal. She had had a bad feeling about something at this end of the corridor and she was fairly confident she had just found the source of it.

She stared for a moment, hesitant but not scared, then she grabbed the handle and pulled the door open. And immediately covered her nose and mouth with her hand.

Squinting into the dark closet, Leia dropped to her knees to investigate the sight in front of her. She reached out tentatively to grab at a cold, metal chain with her fingers. Shining her flashlight on it, she stared at it for a few moments, brows furrowed in confusion as she struggled to comprehend what she was seeing.

Then it finally hit her and a mixture of both relief and dread washed over her.

She clenched her fist around the object attached to the chain and whispered, “Skyro… I don’t think you’re the spy.”

 

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Luke paced slowly across the dark grey flooring of one of the Executor’s tech rooms. Around him at least twenty officers were busily tapping away at their consoles, however, his interest only laid in two of them.

He turned and paced back to where he had started, his long, black cloak swishing softly across the floor behind him. His right hand twitched slightly—he still hadn’t gotten it fixed—but he had gotten used to the pain over the past few weeks so it barely bothered him now. He curled his fingers into a fist and then released them slowly.

“My Lord,” called one of techs. Luke spun around and strode quickly over to the two officers he had been waiting upon.

“Any success?” he asked.

“Unfortunately not, My Lord,” said the tech on the right. The vein on his temple twitched and Luke could tell that the man was scared he might be killed for not providing any useful information. “But we’ve tried everything. No decryption method works on these codes. Either we need the rest of the codes to break the encryption or…”

“Or what?” Luke asked, although he had a feeling he already knew the answer. A suspicion had been lurking at the back of his mind ever since the last two attacks, but he had refused to even consider it until now.

“Or these codes aren’t even codes at all. From all the different decryptions that we’ve tried, none so far have proved to be in any way useful for activating a weapon—or any technology for that matter.”

“What if it’s something we’ve never encountered before?” Luke pressed, hoping that they’d be able to disprove the theory forming in his head. “A new form of technology, perhaps?”

“It’s possible, but extremely unlikely,” the tech on the left said, looking up at him. “These codes don’t look like they’d be able run a datapad, let alone a superweapon.”

“I understand,” Luke sighed, running a hand through his messy blonde locks. Had this been any other day, he might have thrown something across the room in anger, but right now he didn’t have it within him. He hadn’t slept since before the attack on Catarya—which had been over a day ago now—and he was physically and mentally exhausted, yet his determination to discover the secret of Project Cataclysm had prevented him from returning to his room to rest.

And now it seemed his sacrifice had been in vain and his hours of mind-numbing pacing had been for nothing. Luke felt a twinge of anger stir in his gut. His tiredness seemed to recede a little at its appearance and that urge to throw something suddenly spiked in his mind.

But a deep voice from the doorway broke his thoughts and his exhaustion returned, washing away the momentary anger.

Luke looked up and immediately straightened his posture at the sight of the figure in the doorway.

“Master,” he acknowledged, with a slight nod of his head.

“Come with me,” Vader rumbled before striding off down the corridor.

Luke glanced back at the techs as he made to follow Vader.

“Keep working on those codes,” he called. Then he rounded the corner and hurried to catch up with the long strides of his father.

“What is it?” he asked, trying his best to appear alert and focused despite his near coma-inducing exhaustion.

“The Rebels are planning to set up a base.”

That made Luke forget his tiredness for a second. His heart jumped at the thought and the darkness within him cried for a chance at proper revenge, but he kept his tone neutral and controlled as he asked, “Do we know where?”

“In the outer rim. They are scouting a planet named Myuko where a base of theirs once existed,” Vader said as they entered the corridor that lead to the Sith Lord’s chambers. “We should know in a couple of hours whether or not they choose to settle there.”

“I see,” Luke said, already running potential battle plans over in his head.

They entered Vader’s room and the doors swished shut behind them

“Have you had any success with the codes for the Project?” Vader asked, breaking Luke from his thoughts.

“No, I’m afraid not,” Luke answered with a half growled sigh. “There hasn’t been an issue with obtaining them. All the missions so far have run smoothly—besides Catarya, of course.”

“But a little too smoothly for your liking?” Vader rumbled.

Luke nodded. His father obviously had the same feeling he did about the situation.

“I can’t help but feel that these codes are just decoys,” Luke said. “A ruse to distract us from finding out the true details of the weapon.”

“I agree,” said Vader. “If the Rebels deem the codes unworthy of defending, then we should deem them unworthy of obtaining.”

“But perhaps they don’t know where we’re going to strike next,” Luke suggested, still clinging to the hope that maybe he was wrong about this. He had lost two troops to this cause and if it was all for nothing...

“Perhaps. What do your feelings tell you?”

Luke sighed and ran his hand through his hair again. His fingers twinged painfully but he suppressed a wince, not wanting Vader to notice.

“It just doesn’t feel right,” Luke said, turning away from his father’s black figure. “It’s not like Leia to put innocent men’s lives at risk all for a decoy. But I must admit, I’ve been feeling that something was off about this whole situation from the beginning.”

“Remember, Luke. The Princess was never honest with you. Perhaps she has darker intentions than you thought possible. The fact that this weapon exists in the first place all but confirms she’s not the person you thought she was.”

“I know,” Luke said quietly, a tint of anger darkening his tones. “I know…”

“I suggest you continue the attacks on the remaining bases,” Vader rumbled after a moment’s silence.

Luke turned around, a frown lining his face. “But why? If the codes aren’t—”

“If we give up now, the Rebels will realise we’ve discovered that the outposts are just failsafes,” Vader cut in. “Let them think we’re still after the codes. That way we can keeping digging without them realising.”

“What are you suggesting?” Luke asked.

“We must acquire this weapon,” Vader growled. “I will not let the Rebels use it against us. And if the codes are useless, then we must use a different tactic. We must obtain the weapon from the inside.”

Luke frowned slightly. “I’m not sure I follow,” he said. “How will we do that?”

“You will understand soon, my young apprentice,” Vader answered. He turned to his desk, black cloak swishing at his feet, and pressed the commlink on. “Send them in,” he said into the device.

There was an acknowledging statement from the other end and then the doors behind them slid open. Luke spun around and watched in a mixture of confusion and interest as two figures clad in Alliance fatigues were dragged into the room by a handful of stormtroopers.

Luke turned his confused gaze back to Vader.

“I have something to teach you,” the Dark Lord rumbled.

 

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“Skyro,” Leia called, a little louder and more urgent this time. She turned her head to see if she had caught the captain’s attention, and sure enough, he was hurrying over to her. His almost trance-like state was gone now, replaced by concerned curiosity.

“What is it?” he asked, dark brows furrowed.

Leia shifted a little to the side to allow Skyro a better look into the storage closet. He stopped dead next to her, hand flying straight to his mouth.

“I know, the smell is a little off-putting,” Leia murmured as she looked at the three mostly-decomposed bodies stuffed haphazardly in the closet.

“A little?” Skyro echoed, his voice a little faint and muffled by his hand. He crouched down beside her and shone his own flashlight into the closet. His brows were creased in disgust, but also in sadness. The stormtroopers who had done this had clearly had no respect for the bodies they had dumped here, and there was no doubt that these were former Alliance members.

“What have you got in your hand?” Skyro asked quietly, noticing that Leia’s hand was curled around something near one of the bodies.

Leia breathed in deeply, knowing that revealing what she held in her palm would be painful for Skyro. But there was a chance that this was the answer they had been looking for and she couldn’t hold off revealing it any longer.

Leia exhaled and then unclenched her fist slowly to reveal... a set of metal dog tags, the chain of which was still strung around its owner’s neck. Leia watched with baited breath as Skyro reached for them.

The young captain turned the tags over in his hands to read the name engraved on them. He stared for a moment, brows shifting as different expressions crossed his face, then his eyes turned icy.

“Maclay Takaro,” Leia whispered, recalling the name from the tags. She looked at Skyro. “That’s not…?”

“Clay,” Skyro growled as he tugged the chain free from the neck it was strung around.

“But if those are Clay’s…”

“Then that’s Clay’s body. He died here.”

“But how is that—Wait, Skyro!” Leia exclaimed as Skyro shot to his feet and bolted out of the room.

Leia stared speechlessly at the door Skyro had just disappeared through. Her mind was reeling. Two Clays—one dead in front of her and one on the mission with them. But how was that even possible? She looked down at the body again. The only logical reason was that the body wasn’t Clay’s. But her Force senses weren’t currently agreeing with logic. If the body wasn’t Clay’s then why had it had his dog tags? And that look Skyro had given them… his green eyes darkened and glinting...

Leia froze. Darkened and glinting… just like in the vision she had had on Dagobah! She whipped her head back to the doorway, realising the severity of the situation.

Because the next image she had seen had been hands covered in blood.

“Skyro!” she shouted as she raced out the doorway.

She let her instincts drive her and in no time at all she was outside and racing past the shuttle they had arrived in. She rounded the corner of the building and skidded to a stop as she took in the situation in front of her. Han and another man Leia didn’t know the name of were currently restraining Skyro. Opposite, Clay was being helped to his feet by a handful of men.

“What the hell is going on here?” Han yelled, pulling Skyro back as he made a lunge for Clay.

“He’s the spy!” Skyro spat, trying to pull himself free. “He’s the traitor!”

Leia had hurried forward by now and was pushing the second man off of Skyro. She laid a hand on Skyro’s chest and tried to catch his gaze.

“Skyro! Skyro, calm down.”

“Leia, what’re you—”

“I know what I’m doing, Han,” Leia growled, her old temper flaring. Only _now_ did Han decide to speak to her. She kept her gaze fixed on Skyro and reached into the Force, trying to produce a calming aura just like last time. “Skyro, stop. I know you’re angry, but we need to stop and figure this out. We don’t have actual proof that it’s him.”

Skyro had stopped struggling by now, but the anger was still clear in his eyes as he looked at her.

“You saw the body,” he hissed.

“Body? What body?” asked one of the troops.

Leia sighed and turned to face the majority of the company, but did not drop her hand from Skyro’s chest.

“We found three bodies in one of the rooms in the back,” she stated bluntly. “One of them had Clay’s dog tags on them.”

“I lost them the last time I was here,” Clay said, finally joining in on the argument. He wiped some blood from the split lip that Skyro had obviously given him and then turned his gaze to the young captain. “I thought you knew that. That’s why I needed new ones.”

“Losing them and leaving them around the neck of a dead Rebel are two different things,” Skyro hissed.

“Was the body definitely Clay’s?” Han asked.

“I’m not sure. It’s pretty decomposed,” Leia replied, keeping a careful eye on Clay. Her Force senses were on edge. She was so close to finally discovering the truth, but the situation was strenuous and both parties were so agitated that it was hard to pay attention to the subtleties of their Force presences.

“But how could it be mine?” Clay exclaimed, eyes wide. “I’m right here! Skyro, buddy! Please, I’m not a traitor! How could you even say that after what I’ve been through at the hands of the Imperials?”

“That was just a show,” Skyro snapped, shooting Clay a wicked glare. “You killed Clay, took his form and then pretended to be tortured by the Imperials. You’re one of them.”

“Skyro, listen to yourself!” Clay shouted. “That’s insane! That’s not even pos—”

“Enough!” Leia yelled, holding up a hand to silence Clay. At the same time, she pressed her other hand into Skyro’s chest to keep him from lunging at his friend again. “Shouting will get us nowhere. We need to settle this and do it quickly. If there is a chance that anyone here is indeed the spy, then we need to leave immediately and warn the Alliance because the Empire probably has our location by now.”

Clay looked at her. “But how exactly do you intend to resolve this? It’s not like—”

“We’ll do a DNA test,” Han cut in. “We’ll get a sample from the body and a sample from you and then compare it to the records aboard Home One. How does that sound?”

Leia’s eyes were glued to Clay, watching his every move. Skyro’s accusations against him were admittedly far-fetched—how could anyone take another’s body? But somehow… _somehow_ she couldn’t help but feel that they were true… And as she stared at Clay, she remembered something that she had quite forgotten during the strenuous weeks since the Arka III debacle—this whole business of the spy aboard Home One had begun _before_ they had encountered the mind-warped scouts on the planet. Someone had leaked the route of the scout ship to the Imperials, which had led to the scouts being captured and finally to Luke surrendering himself to the Empire. That meant that the scouts couldn’t be the security leak they were after. It had to be someone else...

Leia watched Clay intently. His face gave away nothing, but the slight hesitation before he spoke certainly did. Leia smirked.

“That would certainly work,” Clay responded, shifting a little on the spot.

“I’m counting on it,” Han said. Then he turned to one of the troops to his right. “Go and fetch the medkit from the ship.”

“Yessir.”

Leia’s eyes hadn’t left Clay’s face for the entire exchange, but only now did he look at her. She smirked at him and the look in his eyes showed that he knew that she knew—Skyro was right.

Leia dropped her gaze to the blaster at Clay’s side as a warning from the Force passed through her mind. Clay’s fingers were dangling just above the grip.

“Someone get some binders on Clay,” Leia ordered immediately.

Clay raised his eyebrows in a challenge. “You can’t do that. Innocent until proven guilty.”

“For the safety of all involved,” Leia countered smoothly. “Bind Skyro, too. We can’t have any more fights breaking out.”

Clay gave her a not so subtle glare as his hands were roughly bound. Leia raised her eyebrows slightly and then turned around to face Skyro, who she received a thoroughly hurt look from.

“You did just give him a split lip,” she said quietly, a half smile crossing her lips.

“Ah, yeah, I guess I did,” Skyro murmured as thick metal cuffs were slipped around his wrists.

Leia finally dropped her hand from his chest, content that he wasn’t going to try anything foolish again and then turned to Han.

“Good idea,” she said, tentatively trying to catch his gaze—and for once, it worked. She felt a great deal of tension leave her body as his eyes met hers. She had been beginning to worry that he would never speak to her again.

“Mmm,” Han murmured, his brows pulled into a crease. “But what are we going to do if the body turns out to be Clay’s?”

“Then we put imposter Clay into a cell until we figure out how the hell that’s possible.”

“Do you think it’s possible?” Han asked, and the glint in his eye told her that he was asking a deeper question than that. He was asking what her Force abilities led her to believe.

“Skyro’s right,” she replied, dropping her voice so no one else could hear. “I don’t know how, but he is. Clay—or the person who claims to be Clay—is the spy we’ve been looking for.”

Han’s eyes widened slightly. “How do you know this?”

“I’ve been training,” she whispered after a moment’s hesitation. And from the look in Han’s eyes, she knew she had just confirmed one of his suspicions. Whether that was a good thing or not, she would have to wait to find out because the soldier had returned with medkit.

“I’ll show you where the body is,” she said, nodding in the direction of the building. “Everyone else get aboard the shuttle. We’ll be leaving as soon as we have the sample.”

Leia gave Skyro a reassuring look before she turned and escorted the man with the medkit to the back of the building. They extracted a sample from the bone quickly and efficiently, before deciding to torch the bodies. The whole place would go up in flames but Leia knew it didn’t matter. They didn’t have a chance at using this as their base any more, because if Clay truly was the spy, then he would have alerted the Empire to their location in that last transmission he had made. They needed to return to the Alliance as soon as they could.

Leia stopped at the base of the shuttle ramp. She watched her companion continue upwards, no doubt going to extract a sample from Clay, then turned back to look at the base. Smoke was rising from the back corner now. Soon the whole place would be engulfed in orange flame. She took one last look, sighed and headed up the ramp.

Han met her in the doorway and he was quiet when he spoke.

“Leia, we need to start defending those outposts,” he said. “We’re wasting time looking for a base. We just need to get out there and help our troops.”

“I know, Han,” Leia responded. “I agree. But we need to resolve this first. It shouldn’t take too long anyway.”

She looked past Han to where the troops were gathered around the scanner. They were currently entering the samples into a machine which would allow them to analyse the DNA. Leia turned back to Han.

“Once we’re back with the fleet, we’ll make it our top priority to defend the outposts,” she said. “We’ll have Ackbar analyse the previous attacks and then we’ll select the outpost most likely to come under attack next and defend it. If we’re lucky, we may even be able to send a team out tomorrow.”

“Good, the sooner the better,” Han replied.

Leia looked at him for a moment, wondering whether or not now was a good time to broach the subject of her disappearance. She decided to go with it anyway.

“It’s good to see you,” she whispered, giving him a small smile.

Han’s gaze hardened instantly.

“I’m sorry I left without telling you everything,” she continued quickly. “I shouldn’t have done that.”

Han’s eyes flickered over her face for a few moments, his jaw tensed. Then he sighed and pulled her into a hug. Leia was surprised to say the least, but she was much more glad to feel Han’s arms wrapped around her again. She had come home to the Alliance, but she had never truly felt home until now.

Han released her after a couple of moments.

“I understand that you needed to keep your mission quiet,” he said, laying his hands on her shoulders. “Doesn’t mean I liked it, though. I’m still mad at you. But I must admit, it’s good to see you too.”

Leia smiled and was about to pull the ex-smuggler into a kiss when suddenly the troops called her name.

“What is it?” she asked, turning away from Han with some reluctance.

“We ran both of the samples against Clay’s medical records from before the attack on Myuko a year ago.”

“And?”

Despite her almost-certainty that Clay was the spy, Leia couldn’t help but feel nervous. The trooper who had conducted the sample collections looked directly at her.

“Captain Skyro was right. The body is Clay’s.”

 

.

.

.

 

“Take a seat,” Vader rumbled, waving his hand at the empty space in front of where the stormtroopers had dumped the Rebels.

Luke frowned as he noticed that the men’s hands weren’t bound, nor did anyone show any signs of remedying that. The stormtroopers swiftly exited the room and Vader stood beside him, waiting. One of the Rebels groaned painfully as he tried to push himself up, but crumpled to the floor a moment later. Obviously, they had just come from the torture chamber.

Luke looked at his father. “Shouldn’t they be restrained?” he asked.

“Remember your abilities, Luke,” Vader responded with a touch of annoyance. “You are far more powerful than a pair of metal binders. If they make to escape, you can stop them.”

Luke turned back to look at the Rebels with a scowl, although the expression was targeted more at himself than at them. He should have realised that earlier. The Rebels were weak and if they tried anything he was perfectly capable of stopping them. He shook his head and sank slowly to the floor, trying to push away the tiredness that was making a valiant attempt to pull him into unconsciousness.

“What are you going to teach me?” Luke asked, watching the Rebels carefully.

So far they hadn’t registered his presence. They were still groaning from the torture they had just been through and still hadn’t managed to pull themselves up into a sitting position, although Luke knew that they’d do so soon enough—the pain of the torture was intense, but it dropped off quickly after it was stopped. Soon he’d see looks of recognition and shock cross their faces. He smiled slightly at the thought. That was something he greatly enjoyed, because every time a Rebel looked at him with wide, terrified eyes, all he could do was imagine the same expression crossing the Princess’s face as she watched him bring his red lightsaber to her neck.

“Luke!”

Luke shook his head and looked at his father.

“Sorry, what?”

“This is an important skill I am about to teach you,” Vader growled, and Luke shied back from the obvious anger in his words. “I expect you not to be dozing off during the lesson.”

“Sorry, master,” Luke replied quietly, dropping his gaze from Vader’s glare. He hadn’t realised he had faded out, but he supposed he shouldn’t have been surprised. He really needed to sleep. He could feel the exhaustion deep within his bones now, tugging at him from every corner of his being. “You have my complete attention.”

“I’d better have,” Vader growled. “If we are to unveil the mystery of Project Cataclysm swiftly, then I require your full and utmost attention.”

“I understand,” Luke replied. He turned his gaze back to the Rebel prisoners and in his tiredness he couldn’t stop himself from asking, “Where do you keep getting these guys from?”

“ _Luke_ ,” Vader hissed, and Luke was quick to amend his words.

“I mean… What is it that you’re going to teach me?”

“If you had paid attention before you would know that I am going to teach you how to manipulate their minds,” Vader replied tersely.

“Like a Jedi mind trick?” Luke asked. “I already know how to do that.”

“Like a Jedi mind trick, yes, but much more powerful,” Vader rumbled from behind him. “What I am going to teach you will allow you to influence their minds for longer periods of time. Perhaps even indefinitely.”

“Indefinitely?” Luke echoed, eyeing the Rebels carefully. They seemed to be gaining awareness of their surroundings now. “Wouldn’t that be dangerous?”

“Quite so,” Vader replied. “Which is why I do not recommend it. It is a strenuous task to accomplish and it is often so powerful that the mindstate of your subject quickly deteriorates.”

“Okay, so no permanent changes and you’re fine to do whatever you want,” Luke said.

“Not exactly. A person’s entire personality cannot be permanently overwritten. They must retain most of their conscious being or else, like before, their minds will quickly crumble.”

“So what sort of changes do I aim to make?” Luke asked, not quite certain of where this was going. He could see that being able to have someone under your control for a longer period of time could be useful, except he wasn’t sure how to go about doing it.

“You want to reach out to the undercurrents in their minds—in their Force presence. There you can drop subtle hints, make small changes, and if you do it right you can get them to do almost anything.”

“Undercurrents?”

“You must delve deep into the Force to find them. They are easy enough to recognise. They are base intentions, beliefs, values, loyalties… everything that makes the person who they are and drives them to do what they do. Once you have found them you are free to pull the strings.”

“I see,” Luke said. “Can it be specific like a mind trick?”

“To a point,” Vader replied. “You could change their loyalties—Rebellion to Empire, or vice versa. You could have them assassinate someone and then have them forget their involvement in it. You could have them report regularly to an associate without them realising they’re doing it. You could even have them go undercover to retrieve important information on an enemy’s plans.”

“Ah,” Luke said, now understanding where this was going. “So, we’re going to use this to get the information about Project Cataclysm?”

“Indeed.”

“But if you know how to do this, then why are you teaching me?” Luke asked, a little confused. “I’m sure you’re more than capable of pulling this off.”

“I am, but I believe you’d be more effective at it,” Vader answered. “Especially since you already seem to know how to do it to some extent.”

Luke frowned. “I do?”

“I was informed by one of your troops that you sent a messenger back to the Alliance. That was not a simple mind trick, Luke, and you know it.”

Luke looked down at his hands, one covered and one not. He thought back to the moment on Risnor where he had told the man to return to the Alliance with a message, and only now did he realise that he hadn’t used a mind trick at all. He hadn’t noticed at the time as he had been so caught up in the moment, but now that he looked back on it, he had reached much deeper into the man’s mind than was necessary for a simple mind trick.

Luke eyed the Rebels in front of him with a confidence that he hadn’t possessed before.

“Shall I give it a go?” he asked. He didn’t exactly know how to do it since before he had done it without a thought, but he had an idea and he was eager to try it.

“Yes,” Vader replied. “Just remember, you need to be careful and take your time. Changes that you want to last a day or so will not take long to implement, but if you want to give them orders that last longer, you are going to need to put a lot more effort in.”

Luke nodded and closed his eyes, sinking his mind into the Force. He reached his senses out to the closest Rebel—the one on the right—and delved deep into his mind. Luke winced slightly as the Rebel’s pain came rushing at him, but he quickly brushed it to the side as he sunk lower into the Force, searching for the ‘undercurrents’ Vader had described to him.

He found them quickly, his mind somehow knowing the path to find them, and then, with that mysterious knowledge guiding his ways, he began his work. He let the influencing energies of the Force touch the undercurrents as he began issuing his commands, just like in a Jedi mind trick.

After he was satisfied with his work, Luke withdrew from the Rebel’s mind and opened his eyes. He must have been busy for a matter of minutes, for now both of the Rebel’s were seated with their backs against the wall, staring at him. One’s eyes were wide with recognition at the sight of Luke, but also with confusion at the situation, although he was quickly coming to realise how everything went together. The other, however, stared at him in mild curiosity. There was no recognition whatsoever on his face and Luke smiled. His first attempt at the new form of mind manipulation had worked.

He had erased the Rebel’s knowledge of him.

“Good work,” Vader rumbled, obviously sensing what Luke had done. “Although it is much easier to manipulate minds that are weak and bodies that are broken—quite like these. It will be harder to manipulate someone who is much more actively in control of their own mind.”

Luke closed his eyes again, eager to see how far he could take the manipulation. He reached back into the mind of the same Rebel and found that it was much easier to locate the undercurrents now that he knew where they were. His work was swifter this time and in less than a minute his eyes were open again.

The Rebel stared at him for a couple of moments as the commands sunk in, then he lifted his hands to his throat and began to squeeze. Luke watched intently. The Rebel’s eyes bulged as the seconds passed, but he made no move to ease the pressure around his neck.

Only as the Rebel’s face was beginning to turn a concerning shade of purple did Luke do anything.

“Stop,” he ordered, and instantly the Rebel dropped his hands from his throat and began heaving in deep breaths of air.

“That’s brilliant,” Luke whispered, eyes not leaving the Rebel as he continued to cough and splutter. “He would have killed himself if I hadn’t stopped him.”

“Your skills are quickly improving,” Vader commented after a moment of silence.

Luke frowned and his gaze was torn away from the Rebel. Had he sensed alarm in Vader’s tones? Or had he not been paying attention?

Whatever the answer, he didn’t have long to consider it for the Rebel on the left suddenly decided to speak.

“You’re a monster,” he uttered, horror clear on his face.

Luke turned a hard gaze on the man. “What makes you say that?”

The man’s look of ‘isn’t it obvious?’ shone cleanly through his look of terror.

Luke growled and turned to Vader.

“How did I do?” he asked.

“Exceptional,” Vader answered, and any hint of hesitation that may have been present before was swiftly replaced by the deep tones of pride. “What you did there is the exact technique you need for long term manipulations.”

“How so?”

“You used a command to break the manipulation. Without that, it would have gone on indefinitely—until he killed himself.”

“A command to break the manipulation,” Luke murmured and as he turned back to look at the Rebels his mind was suddenly back on Arka III.

He was standing in a clearing, the light of the sunset turning the tips of the grass orange. He was surrounded by Rebels—the scouts who had turned on them—and in front of him stood an Imperial commander and his troops. The commander said something— _“Your services are no longer required”_ —and suddenly the Rebels were falling to ground, unconscious.

Luke blinked sharply, returning himself to his grey surroundings, and looked up at Vader.

“You used this on the scouts on Arka III,” he whispered, the realisation making his eyes wide.

Vader nodded, slowly. “Indeed. Commander Reth’s words broke the initial command.”

“But how did you do it?” Luke asked, brows furrowed. “The way they acted… I’m certain that’s not how they would have been normally. You said you couldn’t change people’s personalities.”

“Exactly right,” Vader replied. “However, you may influence the way they see things. Make them hate that which they initially loved.”

“I see,” Luke murmured, still running the entire revelation through his mind. Then, he frowned, brows deepening. “Wait a second, you said ‘initial command’. Do you mean to say there was a second command? Are the scouts still under the manipulation?”

“Indeed they are,” Vader rumbled, a slight hint of self-satisfaction ringing clear through his tones. “Once they awoke from their unconsciousness, they returned to their original states—as if nothing had ever happened. They could remember what they had done under the mind control but they could not remember why they had done it. And, most importantly, they could not remember how they had come to be in such a state in the first place. When they went unconscious, all their memories of the torture I put them through and the initiation of the manipulation were wiped.”

“So, are they your spies aboard Home One?” Luke asked, barely concealing his interest. Vader hadn’t been willing to share information about the spy in the Rebel fleet, but now it looked as if he was going to get his answers.

“In a way,” Vader answered. “They go about their business as usual, but a couple of times a day they report back to another spy—one of my most loyal in fact—with any interesting pieces of information they've come across. They remember none of this, of course, because after they report all their knowledge, the spy wipes their memories of the encounter with a code word.”

“That seems awfully complicated,” Luke murmured. “How did you manage to do all that without overworking their minds?”

“It is easy enough if you know how to create a link,” Vader rumbled. “Which is what I am going to teach you next.”

Luke straightened a little where he sat. He hadn’t expected to learn anything else, so the idea of discovering even more secrets about the Force excited him.

“What do you mean by a link?”

“Once you influence their minds, you can pass the control of that influence over to another individual by linking their minds together. Once you do that, your subjects will have to obey every command issued to them by your controller—your link. For the scouts, I made a link between them and my spy that had been aboard Home One for almost a year. It eases the amount of strain put on their minds because essentially the only command you need to give them is one which makes them obey someone else. Code words and small manipulations can be put in place as well because obviously they are not overly taxing on the mind. Giving someone else the control of your subjects also means that they can make changes if necessary.”

“I see,” Luke murmured. It was a lot to take in, but he thought he understood what Vader was saying. He turned to face the Rebels again. “Do you want me to try it on them?”

“Yes, but I want you to link their minds to mine. Make them obey me completely.”

“Both of them?” Luke asked, a little concerned. Manipulating one mind was easy, but two at the same time seemed a bit of a challenge. And it was even more daunting since his tiredness was becoming harder and harder to push away with every passing second.

“Yes, it is a skill you will need to learn,” Vader rumbled. “This power is much more valuable than you realise, Luke. You can use it on multiple people at the same time—turn a legion of troops against their leader, if you need. You will find that it will become a great asset.”

Luke breathed in deeply and nodded, turning his attention to the troops in front of him. The Rebel who had been manipulated before had a somewhat blank stare on his face and didn’t seem to be too concerned about the entire situation, but the Rebel on the left looked like he was about to put up a fight.

“No, no, no!” he shouted, shaking a finger at Luke. “Don’t you dare use your mind control on me! Don’t you dare link me to that monster!” His eyes were wide and fearful as they flickered towards Vader.

“Shut it or I’ll make you strangle yourself,” Luke snarled. “And this time I won’t make it stop.”

The Rebel’s eyes flashed with fear and he instantly shut his mouth.

Luke closed his eyes again and focused, drawing as deeply as he could from the Dark Side. Then he reached out through the Force towards the minds of both the Rebels. It was a little more complicated trying to locate the undercurrents in both their minds at the same time, but he managed to do so after a number of minutes. Once he was there, he laid a willingness to obey Vader in their minds and then reached out in a third direction towards his father’s dark presence. He didn’t really know what to do at that point, but the Force seemed to guide him. It wasn't so much of a connection that he was making, rather he was making sure that the Rebels knew who they were going to answer to. After another couple of intense minutes he withdrew from the mystical energy field, his work done.

Luke opened his eyes and his vision spun instantly. He slammed his fists against the cold tile in front of him and leaned into them, bowing his head low as he struggled to push away the overwhelming exhaustion that was taking over his body. He breathed in deeply and then exhaled, clenching his fists a little harder.

He stayed that way for a number of minutes, heaving deeply and swaying slightly. Then, his vision began to return to him and he looked up at his father, hoping that the Sith Lord hadn’t noticed his severe reaction—but, really, how could he not have?

Luke blinked a couple of times to focus his gaze and then murmured, “Did I do it right?”

Vader studied him for a number of moments and Luke wondered whether he was going to be reprimanded for not getting enough sleep. But, when Vader spoke, he made no acknowledgements of Luke’s predicament.

“Yes, you did. Good work, Luke,” Vader rumbled.

“How…” Luke mumbled, his mouth a little dry as he attempted to ask a question that had suddenly appeared in his mind. “How do you break a link?” he asked, finally.

“Kill the link or kill the subjects,” Vader replied bluntly.

“Ah.”

"Or have the person who's the link break the connection willingly, depending on how you set it up in the first place. But be aware that breaking a link will wipe the mind control."

"I see," Luke murmured, groaning slightly as his head twinged. He rubbed at the bridge of his nose, eyes shut tight, as he asked, "Is there anything else you wish to teach me, father?"

Luke froze instantly as he realised his mistake. The Rebels may be under mind control, but they still had minds of their own and were still able to react to such terrifying revelations.

" _Father?_ " the Rebel who still remembered who Luke was repeated incredulously. "Oh, well, it all makes sense now. Being a monster must run in the family."

Luke would have snapped off an angry retort—may have even snapped the man's neck for his insolent words—but right now he was far too frightened for his own safety. The air was positively sizzling with Vader's anger. The Sith Lord stared down at him for what seemed like an eternity, then turned swiftly and stalked towards his desk. From the drawers he pulled out two small blasters and tossed them towards the Rebels.

"Kill him," Vader growled.

Luke's eyes widened but he didn't have much time to react to his father's words, for a second later there were blaster bolts sizzling straight towards him.

He rolled across the floor, barely missing the shots from the manipulated Rebels as he pulled himself up into a crouch and called his lightsaber to his hand. His red blade ignited with a _snap-hiss_ , but his movements were sluggish and a laser bolt clipped him on the arm. The smell of burnt fabric and flesh filled his nostrils as he hissed in pain.

He brought his saber up in front of him and deflected the next two shots that came at him. One went ricocheting back at the Rebel who had fired it and he crumpled to the floor in a heap. The second shot missed the other Rebel by metres and Luke hissed a curse as he struggled to focus. His vision seemed to blur with every movement he made and his Force senses were screaming at him from all directions.

A laser bolt sizzled past his ear and he gave up trying to defend himself. Instead, he reached out blindly with the Force until he found the remaining Rebel's neck. He squeezed as hard as he could, hoping that the man's life would leave him before he himself was consumed by the blackness.

Luke's vision was growing dark now and he sank to his knees just as he felt the Rebel go limp in his Force grip. He switched his saber off and let it fall from his hands as he fell forwards.

He caught himself—just. He threw his hands out at the last second to stop his head colliding with the ground and then stayed there on his hands and knees, head spinning and chest heaving.

The instant he got control of his voice again, he yelled at Vader, "What the hell?! They could have killed me!"

"If you were in any decent shape they wouldn't have even been a challenge for you," Vader snarled and Luke had never heard him so angry before. "You may have the power of the Dark Side but it will not always be able to save you, especially if you are so tired that you can barely stand! You may be a Sith now, Luke, but you still need to take care of yourself and your body! Look at what your insolence could have cost you! Not only did you almost get yourself killed but you also slipped up and revealed your true identity! Just be glad that the Emperor wasn't here to see it. Now get up and get out."

Despite his exhaustion, Luke found his footing in an instant and was out the door the next without a backwards glance.

 

.

.

.

 

Leia brushed her hair out of her face and sighed tiredly as she ambled down the corridor towards the command room. She had just finished escorting Clay to the cells and was now on her way to consult with the Alliance council members. The flight back to Home One hadn’t been as bad as she had expected. Clay and Skyro had remained silent throughout the entire trip, although the tension between the two had been palpable. The other troops had seemed mostly relieved and had spent the trip playing a rather rowdy game of sabacc.

Leia rounded the corner and entered the hallway of the command room. She wasn’t exactly looking forward to the meeting ahead of her—she would have much prefered to return to her room and sleep—but they had made a significant breakthrough in the fight against the Empire and she figured she couldn’t exactly miss it.

The door to the command room opened with a _whoosh_ as she entered. Inside were a handful of delegates—less than there usually were, Leia noted—Mon Mothma, Ackbar, Han and a number of the troops who had been on the mission with them.

Leia made to move towards Mon Mothma but was stopped as a hand grabbed her arm and pulled her to the side.

“Skyro, what are you doing?” she hissed, frowning.

She hadn’t even noticed the captain’s presence upon entry. He must have been waiting at the door for her. She pulled her arm free and looked up at him, her frown deepening as she caught sight of his expression.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, lowering her voice. She could sense the eyes of the council members on her and she didn’t like it.

“Leia, something isn’t right about this,” Skyro whispered, his eyes wide and skittish.

“Skyro, I… I don’t understand. Clay is the spy, just like you said.” Leia replied, confused. She reached out with the Force to Skyro’s presence and, just like she had expected, his emotions were wild and conflicted—much too hard for her to read right now.

“No, I mean something isn’t right with _me_ ,” Skyro said, dropping his voice even lower than it had been before. Leia had to lean closer to catch his next words. “Remember what I said on the shuttle?”

“You said you thought you were the spy.”

“And I said I’ve been experiencing gaps in my memory,” Skyro nodded. “I think they’re connected to Clay somehow. I spent the entire trip back thinking about it. Every gap in my memory occurs just after I decide to go see Clay. I didn’t realise it until now. I—”

Leia shook her head. “No, Skyro, you’re overthinking this. You’re not the spy. Clay is.”

“But what if I was helping him?” Skyro hissed.

Leia blinked, slightly taken aback.

“What if I’m still under the mind control? What if he’s been controlling me? Made me leak important information to him?”

Skyro’s green eyes were wide and Leia stared into them for a couple of seconds. She wanted to brush Skyro’s concerns off—tell him he was stressed and just imagining it—but the earnesty in his voice and the desperation in his presence told her that would be a bad idea.

“I can get the medics to put you through more tests,” she said finally. “But it’ll have to be after this meeting.”

Skyro looked like he was about to argue but Leia placed a hand on his arm.

“Hey,” she said quietly, giving him a small smile. “It’s going to be okay.”

Skyro sighed and dropped his head.

“Okay,” he murmured as he sank into the closest seat.

Leia watched him for a few moments, listening intently to the energies of the Force, then turned and headed over to Mon Mothma and the others.

“What was that about?” Han asked, nodding his head in Skyro’s direction.

“He has some concerns,” Leia answered. “But they can be addressed after this meeting. What have we discovered about the imposter Clay?”

Mon Mothma tapped at the holoprojector in front of them and a large medical display appeared.

“We were able to analyse the samples you collected even further,” she said, indicating the projection. “Your initial results are correct. This ‘Clay’ is indeed an imposter. But that’s not all he is.”

Leia watched as Mon Mothma tapped a different set of controls and brought up a large DNA model. From a brief inspection, Leia was able to conclude that it was most definitely not human.

“He’s a clawdite,” Mon Mothma said.

Leia raised her eyebrows. “A skinchanger?”

“Indeed.”

Leia leaned against the table, looking over the medical display.

“That would explain how he took Clay’s form, but from what I’ve heard, it’s extremely difficult for them to retain a different look over long periods of time,” Leia said. “If they’re distracted or injured it can break their concentration and their appearance returns to its usual state. How did he manage to go unnoticed this entire time?”

“Perhaps he was extremely talented,” Mon Mothma said.

“Perhaps…” Leia murmured. She frowned slightly as she tried to recall everything she knew about the species. “Is it just me, or is it strange to find one working for the Empire? I mean, their skills make them perfect for the job of an Imperial spy, but it also makes them exploitable. I just don’t see a clawdite willingly aligning with the Empire.”

“Everyone has a reason for doing what they do,” Ackbar said. “Perhaps he was a loyal servant. Or perhaps the Empire forced him into it. They’re very good at getting people to do what they want.”

“Like mind control?” Leia asked.

“Maybe, although that’s not what I was talking about,” Ackbar said. “Threatening to kill a loved one can be just as powerful as mind control.”

Leia nodded. She glanced quickly at Skyro. The young captain was rubbing the bridge of his nose with a somewhat pained expression on his face. She grimaced slightly as she turned back to the council members. She would help Skyro once she was done here.

“Have you managed to figure out how he was transmitting information to the Empire?”

“Your friend Enzo was kind enough to fill us in on the signal you had him monitoring, although we have not yet been able to locate the device.”

“It’s on his person,” Leia said. “It went off when we were on Myuko. Have someone check him as soon as possible. It goes off at regular intervals and we can’t let him inform the Empire that we’ve figured him out.”

“The medics are with him right now,” Mon Mothma said. “They’re conducting some further tests. I can order a search now if you’d like?”

“Yes, please,” Leia replied. “The sooner we find the device, the better.”

Leia continued to examine the medical display as Mon Mothma contacted the medics, although her mind wasn’t really focusing on the data in front of her. She was too busy thinking over Skyro’s dilemma. Was it possible that he was still under the mind control that had been used on him on Arka III? Did that mean the other scouts were still under the mind control as well? And how would that even be possible? Most mind control techniques were crude and pretty noticeable on their subjects, but this… this was intricate and well-crafted. If the Empire had this sort of mind control at their disposal, they could control almost anyone. She shuddered at the thought.

The conversation continued around her as she became lost in thought. And she must have remained that way for some time because she only looked up as the medical display switched to a hologram of a young woman.

Leia forced her mind back to the present as the woman began to speak.

“We’ve located an implant in the subject’s arm,” the woman said, her Coruscanti accent ringing clear through her tones. “We did a quick diagnostic on it, and like you said, it is a device used for long range transmissions. It’s got a very complicated set up, however, so we weren’t able to acquire much more information than that. More thorough tests will need to be performed to find out about how it is used, but they will only be able to be conducted once the device is removed.”

Leia’s Force senses twinged instantly.

“No, don’t remove it!” she said quickly.

“Why not?” Mon Mothma asked, looking at Leia with brows pulled together. “You yourself said it’d be too dangerous to allow it to go off again. If we remove it we can stop it.”

“Yes, but the device might have some sort of failsafe,” Leia explained. “For all we know, pulling it out of his body could cause it to transmit everything to the Empire. We need to get it out, but not yet.”

“Then what do you suggest we do?”

“I—” Leia started but she stopped as she did a double take of the area near the door. She had glanced over casually but as she had turned back to the hologram her Force senses had nudged at her and instantly a bad feeling had washed over her.

Because Skyro wasn’t there any more.

Leia quickly looked around the room and when she didn’t locate him she extended her senses.

“Where did Sky—” she began but cut herself off with a curse as she located Skyro’s presence.

A second later, she was racing out the door and down the corridor, her bad feeling from the Force increasing with every passing second. She pushed past techs and officers as she careened around the corners.

She was almost halfway there when a sudden, sharp feeling pierced through her mind. She gasped and skidded to a stop, clutching at her forehead. Pain was ricocheting through her mind, but it wasn’t a pain that made her scream or grit her teeth. It didn’t even hurt her. She was confused for a couple of seconds as she struggled to understand what the strange feeling was. But then it hit her. It was _somebody else’s pain_.

And suddenly it was gone.

Leia looked down the corridor with wide eyes. She was too late…

She took off again, her heart pounding in her chest. A queasy feeling was beginning to spread through her stomach, but it wasn’t from the sudden and unexpected exercise, nor was it from the pain that she had felt—it was from the thought of what she might find once she reached her destination.

She bolted down the last few corridors to the cellbay just in time to see two guards pulling Skyro out of a cell. Leia skidded to a halt and watched, breathless, as Skyro struggled against the tough grips of the guards. It took them a couple of moments but finally they managed to snap a pair of metal binders around his wrists. And that was when Leia noticed it.

Skyro’s hands were covered in blood.

Leia took a step back as her breath was knocked out of her. Hands covered in blood, just like in her vision…

The guards were pulling Skyro away from the cells now, and Leia’s eyes widened as she realised they were coming towards her. She hesitated, wanting to run away so Skyro didn’t see her—but it was too late. Skyro’s green eyes met hers and suddenly he stopped struggling.

“Leia! Leia, please I didn’t mean to! I wasn’t in control of my actions, I swear! Please, Leia!”

His voice broke as he cried out to her. He was pale and as he approached, Leia could tell that he was shaking badly. But she had no words for him. They had been knocked from her mouth the instant she had seen his blood-covered hands.

Leia stepped to the side as the guards neared her position. She didn’t know where they were planning on taking Skyro—probably somewhere far away from the cells—but she couldn’t even find her voice for them. Her mind was numb and her Force senses were receiving every single drop of Skyro’s sheer terror. It made her nauseous.

Leia dropped her gaze as the guards made to pass her by, but suddenly there was a warm, tight grip on her wrist and she gasped as Skyro’s green eyes flashed centimetres away from hers. He had broken away from his guards somehow and was now looking at her with wide, pleading eyes.

“I didn’t have control of my actions, Leia. Please believe me,” he said hurriedly, his voice much lower now. “I didn’t mean to do it, although I’m glad I did.”

Leia’s eyes widened at that last statement and she shot him a concerned glance.

“Leia, I can remember now. I can remember the gaps in my memory. I—” Skyro pushed against the guards, who were quickly trying to regain control of him. They fell back a couple of steps, but that didn’t give him much more time. “Remember how I said I was going to tell you about my concerns—that time in your room—but I didn’t end up doing it? I told Clay about that and he punched me. The black eye I had… that was from him. There are so many other times as well. But now I’m—ah—free.”

The guards had finally managed to pull Skyro off of Leia and one was hurriedly reaching for his blaster.

“No more mind control,” Skyro said, flashing her a smile that came off half-crazed in the light of a laser blast.

Suddenly, Skyro slumped in the guards’ arms and Leia finally found her voice again.

“What did you just do?!” she cried, looking down at Skyro’s limp body.

“It was a stun blast, your highness, no need to worry,” answered one of the guards as the two of them began dragging Skyro off to who-knows-where.

Leia watched in stunned silence until they disappeared from view. Her mind was spinning and her heart was still pounding in her chest. It took her another couple of minutes to realise that her commlink was going off.

She picked it up quickly and lifted it to her mouth.

“Yes?” she asked, and her voice sounded much weaker than she had expected.

“Leia! What’s going on? What happened?” It was Han.

Leia turned her gaze towards the cellbay. Her bad feeling from the Force had subsided now, but the nauseous feeling still remained.

“I think…” she began quietly. “I think Clay is dead… And Skyro killed him.”

 

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Luke rubbed at his eyes as he strode down the grey corridor of the Executor. He had managed to get a decent six hours of sleep before something had woken him up. He still wasn’t quite sure what had pulled him from his rest, but it had left him with a strange feeling from the Force. It had been distress almost… but not his.

Luke shrugged and turned his gaze on the large set of grey doors that he was swiftly approaching. Whatever it had been, it hadn’t lingered very long, but it had prevented him from returning to sleep so here he was making his way towards the bridge of the Executor.

It was early morning according to the ship’s clocks so Luke had figured that this would be the best place to head. At this hour, the bridge would be relatively empty, with only a commanding officer on duty, a handful of techs and no large, black-cloaked Sith Lords. Still, Luke paused just outside of the door’s sensors and reached out with the Force to make sure that his father wasn’t on the bridge.

After a moment’s examination, Luke sighed with relief and strode into the room. No one looked at him as he entered except for the Admiral, who turned around and began making his way towards him.

Luke raised his eyebrows. He hadn’t expected Piett to be here at this hour, but it wasn’t an issue. He was only avoiding Vader at the moment; the Admiral was of no concern to him.

“Sleep well?” Piett asked as he stopped just in front of Luke.

Okay, he may not be a concern, but he was definitely an annoyance. Luke resisted the urge to shoot a death glare at the Admiral.

Instead, he simply asked, “Any news?”

“Yes, in fact,” Piett answered, barely concealing a smug grin. “I have informed Lord Vader, but he requested I tell you, so I will. We recently received a data dump from our spy aboard Home One.”

Luke frowned. “What does that mean?”

“It means he’s dead,” Piett replied bluntly.

“Ah.”

Piett shifted slightly on his feet and his stance changed as he continued, clearly eager to move on from that topic. “Lord Vader has requested that you continue with your attacks on the Rebel outposts. Your team will be ready to leave in one hour.”

“One hour?” Luke repeated incredulously.

“Yes. Lord Vader believes it to be most important that you obtain the codes swiftly and without hassle. The Rebels are still recovering from the attacks on Risnor and Catarya. They will not expect a third attack so soon.”

Luke snorted softly. “He just wants me out of here,” he muttered to himself.

“What was that?”

“Nothing. Where am I headed?”

“Syriet,” Piett replied. “One hour.”

“One hour. Got it,” Luke replied with a huff and then turned and stalked from the room.

 

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Leia glared out into the depths of space from her favourite window seat in the mess hall. It had been a couple of hours now since the whole Skyro and Clay debacle and she was pretty sure it was still going on, only she wasn’t allowed to participate because she was ‘too close to the ones involved’. She growled quietly to herself. She never let her opinion get in the way of things! Well,  except for the time with the leaked footage of Luke… Ah… maybe that was why she hadn’t been allowed to help resolve the case. After all, the last time she had been ‘too close’ she had ended up punching a commander in the face.

Leia sighed as she heard the doors slide open behind her.

“Hey.”

It was Han.

“Have they resolved it yet?” she asked tiredly, leaning her elbow on the table and her head on her hand.

“I’m not sure.”

“Not sure?”

“I’m not involved in the case,” Han explained as he sank into the seat next to her.

“Then where have you been?” Leia asked, a little annoyed that he hadn’t come to visit her sooner if he hadn’t been doing anything.

“I’ve been with Ackbar, analysing the previous attacks on the outposts,” Han said. “We were able to come up with a likely candidate for the next Imperial attack. We’re launching the defense team tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?” Leia repeated incredulously. “Is that a good idea given the current state of things?”

“Ackbar seems to think so,” Han said quietly. “Apparently the spy’s transmitter did a data dump the second his heart stopped. The Empire will know he’s dead. That’s gotta cause some problems for the Imperials, which is why it’s the best time for us to start setting up our defences. They won’t be expecting it.”

“Wait, what do you mean ‘us’?” Leia asked, eyes narrowing.

Han sighed. “I mean you, me and a small team of troops. Ackbar sent me here to ask you, although we both know it’s more of an order.”

Leia scowled. “Han, I can’t leave. What about Skyro? What about—”

“Leia,” Han hushed, holding up a finger. “They’re not going to let you get involved in this. The least you can do is help me and my team out. We might need your… skills.”

Leia groaned and rubbed at her forehead. “I don’t get a choice, do I?”

“Not really, I’m afraid.”

Leia brushed her hair out of her face and sighed. Han was right. She couldn’t do anything here so she might as well get out and start defending the men whose lives she had put at risk in the first place. She looked at Han.

“Where are we headed?”

“Syriet.”


	16. Chapter 16

 

Luke stood on the edge of the platform, looking down into the foggy abyss below. The wind blew his cloak out behind him and tousled his golden fringe. Behind him, his troops were hurriedly covering their shuttle in camouflage nets. They hadn’t gone to such lengths before, but Luke had an unusual feeling that this time would be different. Something was about to go his way…

Luke looked up and out at the horizon. The misty cloud continued on as far as he could see, broken every now and then by large, spire-like trees. According to Imperial data, the fog was noxious to humans, which is why any settlements on this planet had to be built on raised platforms. That meant that there was limited landing space and so it was very likely that the Rebels at the outpost already knew they were here. So why was he bothering to camouflage his ship? He didn’t quite know why yet, but he had a feeling it would come in handy later on.

Luke turned around as one of his troops called out to him.

“The nets are all set, my Lord.”

“Very good,” Luke replied. “Active them.”

The trooper flicked a switch on a small, handheld device and suddenly the shuttle melted into the horizon. Luke took a couple of minutes to wander around the ship, checking the adequacy of the camouflage. The technology was not entirely perfect, which meant that occasionally a glimmer would give away the fact that something was being shielded, but if you were just passing by or looking on from a distance it wouldn’t be noticeable at all.

Luke returned to his troops once he was satisfied.

“Let’s move.”

The trip to the outpost was short and uneventful. Many of the buildings that they passed looked as if they had been abandoned long ago. Some were even falling down. An eerie silence filled the air, but Luke put that down to the natural state of things rather than an indication that something bad was about to happen.

They moved swiftly and silently down the main pathway. Their scanner indicated that the outpost was located in the building at the very end of the platform strip, so that was where they were headed, although Luke halted them a couple of buildings away. His senses had warned him that they were about to encounter their enemies.

“Get your weapons ready and find some cover if you can,” he ordered his troops. “They have us in their sights.”

Brief acknowledgements reached his ears as the troopers quickly scattered. Luke turned his gaze on the building but did not move. He was out in the open in full range of the enemy’s weapons yet he knew he was safe—for the time being at least. His presence was creating fear in the Rebels. He could sense it from here. The tension was thick and palpable in the air and it sent shivers of excitement down his spine.

He stared forwards for another couple of minutes as his troopers set up their weapons. His fingers were tingling with anticipation, but it wasn’t the oncoming fight that excited him. It was something else. Something he couldn’t quite put his finger on yet.

He turned to his troops. All of them had eyes on him, indicating that they were ready for action.

“Launch a smoke grenade at the doorway,” he ordered as he unclipped his lightsaber from his belt. “Then enter swiftly and kill all that get in your way. I will enter from the back and obtain the codes.”

The troops nodded then primed their weapons. One pulled out a small, circular disc and flicked the switch on the side. Luke gave the trooper with the grenade a short nod and then turned his gaze on the Rebel outpost as the metallic device was launched at the doorway. 

The instant the grenade erupted into smoke, Luke disappeared from view and took off swiftly down the alleyway to his left. Blaster fire broke out behind him and he could sense his troopers moving swiftly towards the building. The Rebels were returning fire, but due to the smoke obscuring the air between the fighters, no one had hit a target yet.

Luke turned quickly around the corner and raced down the dark back alley that led towards the rear of the Rebel outpost. He slowed as he neared the edge of the building, extending his senses for any traps that the Rebels might have set. When he found none, he tugged his hood down even further over his face and strode forward towards the back door of the building.

The locking mechanisms creaked and groaned as they were forced open by Luke’s extended palm and the door swung inwards seconds later. Luke didn’t even pause to survey the darkened corridor in front of him as he moved swiftly through the doorway and headed in the direction of the nearest computer outlet. He pulled a data card from his pocket as he moved and clipped his lightsaber to his belt. All of the Rebels were currently engaged in the firefight with the stormtroopers at the front of the building, so he was perfectly sure that he could do without his weapon for the time being.

Luke pushed a door open and stepped into a darkened room. The wall to the left was lined with three computer terminals. Luke stepped up swiftly to the closest one and inserted his data card. A blue display popped up in front of him and he leaned against the desk as he began his search for the codes. 

It didn’t take him long to find them—barely thirty seconds had passed and he was already transferring the data to his card. He watched intently as the progress bar steadily filled up. Twenty percent… Thirty percent…

The transfer hadn’t quite reached fifty percent when a sharp jolt in the Force broke Luke from his thoughts. He turned away from the computer terminal as he extended his senses to find the cause of the disturbance. And he cursed instantly.

One of his troopers had fallen, but that wasn’t the only issue. The Rebels were falling back and were heading straight for him. Luke unclipped his saber from his belt just as the door burst open.

The Rebels skidded to a halt mere metres into the room as their eyes landed on Luke. They paused, momentarily shocked and uncertain. But suddenly the air behind them was alight with blaster fire from the stormtroopers and they barged into the room even further, raising their weapons at Luke.

Luke ignited his saber in a flash as the laser bolts began sizzling towards him. He swung his saber almost casually, deflecting every shot that came his way with ease. Two Rebels fell swiftly and were soon followed by a third. Fear swelled within the remaining Rebels but they did not break fire.

Luke continued to deflect the shots as his squad of stormtroopers entered the room. Now pitted against two enemies, the Rebels were quick to fall prey to the barrage of laser bolts flying around the room. The air was silent in less than a minute.

Luke gazed down hardly at the smoldering bodies of the Rebels. His saber cast a red tint over the darkened room, twisting the scene into one of a gruesome bloodbath. He stared for a few moments longer, breathing in deeply from adrenaline, before he turned and grabbed the successfully written data card from the computer terminal. 

He turned and was about to storm out of the room when he was stopped short by a stormtrooper hurrying through the doorway. The man held a small scanner in his hand leading Luke to the quick assumption that he had been posted on watch whilst the others had continued the fight.

“My Lord, we have picked up two ships entering the system,” the stormtrooper said quickly. “Their trajectory suggests they’re heading for the landing platform.”

“What ships?” Luke asked.

“An unidentified troop carrier and a YT-1300 light freighter,” the trooper answered after a glance at his scanner.

Luke couldn’t help the expression that crossed his face at those words. His eyes widened and his mouth split into a crooked grin. Luckily his face was covered by his hood, otherwise he was sure he would have come off as looking half-crazed in the red light of his saber. 

So  _ this _ was what that feeling from the Force had been trying to tell him.  _ This _ was why he had had a feeling that something was going to go his way. 

Finally, he had a chance at proper revenge.

Luke deactivated his saber, sinking the room into darkness again. 

“It’s the Alliance. Hide the bodies and then find cover within the base,” Luke ordered as he pressed past his troops into the corridor. “Be prepared to fight, but whatever happens, I want the Princess and the smuggler Han Solo alive.”

“Yes, sir,” chanted the troops.

“Be quick and don’t let anyone see you,” Luke said as he turned and began walking towards the set of stairs that led to the roof. “We want this to be a surprise.”

 

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Leia stared out at the milky white planet in front of them. The entire hyperspace journey here she had received nothing but bad vibes from the Force. Initially, she had just put it down to her concern about Skyro and the fact that she couldn’t help him escape the dismissal from the Alliance that he was undoubtedly going to receive. But as they had pulled out of hyperspace, her bad feeling had magnified and now she had no choice but to accept the fact that it had to do with the mission ahead of them.

“I have a bad feeling about this” she whispered from where she sat in the back seat of the Millennium Falcon’s cockpit.

Han gave her a brief look, but then returned to the controls as he began to guide them into Syriet’s atmosphere.

“It’s going to be fine, trust me,” he said as he flipped a couple of levers. Chewbacca roared softly in agreement from the copilot’s seat.

“No,” Leia murmured, standing up slowly and moving into the space between the two front seats so she could see better as they passed through the atmosphere. “I sense…”

“What is it?” Han asked, concern immediately entering his tone. “What do you sense?”

“I…” Leia shook her head softly, a slight crease lining her brow as she tried to concentrate on the feeling she was getting from the Force. It was… strange, to say the least. She had never felt something like this before—not while she had been training with Yoda and not when she had returned to the Alliance. This was something new to her Force senses and she didn’t like it at all. 

“I’m not sure,” she finished slowly, but her actions thereafter said otherwise.

She sank back into her seat and closed her eyes, reaching into the Force to make sure that her mental shields were as tough and impenetrable as they could be. The Force wasn’t giving her any particulars about the situation, but the information about the prior attacks certainly did. If there was any chance that Vader’s apprentice might be on the planet right now, she needed to be extremely careful. She couldn’t risk him finding out about her talents, not when she was so inexperienced—she didn’t even have a proper weapon to fight him with! Yes, caution was definitely the best option here, she decided as she double checked the security of her shields.

A long, grey strip soon materialised out of the mist below them.

“That’s it, Chewie,” Han said as he looked up from the scanner. “We’ll put down close to the outpost. There’s enough room there for the Falcon and the troop carrier to land nicely.”

Chewie growled softly in agreement and soon enough they were swinging low over the buildings. The Falcon slowed to hover over the small landing platform, then the repulsors kicked in and they were gently lowered down.

All the while, Leia’s eyes were fixed on the building that was the Rebel outpost. The windows were darkened and empty and she could see no movement within. A cold chill was swiftly spreading over her skin, lifting the hair on her arms and on the back of her neck. And suddenly she remembered some important advice Yoda had given her.

If she truly wanted to hide her secrets from a Force user, she had to leave some parts of her consciousness unshielded. That way they wouldn’t be suspicious when they came into contact with rigorous, impenetrable barricades all the way round. Leia took a deep breath in and concentrated on her deepest, most important secrets. Those were the ones she truly needed to shield, everything else could be left relatively open for now.

It only took a few moments to make the changes in her shielding. Luckily, it was something she had taken quite well to during Yoda’s training. After all, she had always been good at shielding her thoughts even when the Force hadn’t been involved—that time on the first Death Star, for example. She had never given away the location of the Alliance base despite the torture and mental abuse Vader had put her through and she wasn’t about to tarnish her record now. 

She opened her eyes slowly and suddenly her head felt a lot lighter. For a moment she thought it was just the fact that she had reduced her shielding, but as she squinted towards the building again, she realised that the bad feeling from the Force wasn’t as strong any more. She hummed quietly to herself, uncertain of why the change had occurred but taking it as a good sign nonetheless. Whether she was misinterpreting that or not, she didn’t have time to consider, because Han and Chewie had finished shutting down the Falcon and were now clambering out of their seats.

“Ready to go?” Han asked. His tone was light, but the edges of his eyes were creased in concern as he looked at her.

She nodded and stood up, pulling her blaster from its holster as she did so. Han obviously noticed because he did the same after a moment’s consideration.

“I’ll let you brief the troops,” he said as he slid past her to the back of the Falcon.

She followed after him and together they descended the ramp onto the landing platform below.

A bitter breeze blew at them the moment they set foot on the grey permacrete. Leia raised her hand to brush away the loose hairs dancing in front of her face as she turned to face the troop carrier which had set down beside the Falcon. She crinkled her nose at the smell in the air. It was sulphurous almost, but a touch softer, originating from the swirling mists below the platform.

Leia straightened slightly as the troops exited the shuttle and crowded around her.

“Lasdon, do you have the scanner?” she asked immediately. Her back was currently turned to the outpost building and it was making her anxious. For some strange reason, she felt like she was being watched, but she didn’t want to give the troops the wrong idea, so she kept her focus on them and the scanner that Lasdon was pulling out.

“Can you get a reading on the building?” she asked.

Lasdon, a young, ginger haired man, turned a couple of dials on the device then angled it towards the building.

“There’s interference but I’m picking up some lifeforms,” he said after studying the display for a moment.

“Humanoid?”

“Yes.”

“How many?”

Lasdon fiddled with the device a bit more. “I can’t be certain. Ten, maybe more, maybe less.”

Leia nodded slowly and finally turned her gaze back to the building. She narrowed her eyes as she looked at it. Her bad feeling from the Force had dulled but it hadn’t left entirely and that could only mean one thing.

“We’ll approach from the side and enter from the front,” she said quickly. “I want weapons drawn and everyone on alert. There’s a great chance that we’re too late.”

“What do you mean?” asked one of the troops. “There’s lifeforms on the scanner. That means they’re not dead.”

Leia turned to look at them again.

“Yes, there’s lifeforms, but who’s to say they’re not Imperials?” she answered. “If they’re ours, why haven’t they shown themselves yet?”

An uneasy silence spread across the company, but Leia didn’t let it linger too long.

“Weapons out and let’s go,” she said, turning towards the building.

There were soft rustles of fabric and harsh clicks of metal as the troops primed their weapons and set off after her. The wind bit at their ankles and blew curls of white mist into their faces as they marched but they did their best to ignore it. An unsettling silence had spread over the group and Leia was beginning to regret voicing the suggestion that the Imperials might be waiting for them, although it would have been foolish of her not to. They were most likely walking into a trap, but at least they knew that. They were prepared for what lay ahead of them.

Well, unless Vader’s apprentice was waiting for them…

Leia shook her head and brushed that thought aside. If Vader’s apprentice truly was here, she’d get everyone out as quickly as she could, but for now it was only a possibility and they had to keep moving forward.

Leia stopped as they reached the thin bridge between the landing platform and the main platform stretch. She stepped to the side and allowed her troops to go first. They shuffled past her quickly and quietly, weapons raised and eyes wide. Leia was about to follow them when she realised Han hadn’t gone past her.

She turned around and found him standing near the edge of the platform about twenty metres away from her. She frowned, confused and slightly annoyed. She was about to call out to him but his actions silenced her for the moment.

Han kicked a small chip of permacrete off the edge and leaned out to watch it fall. After a couple of seconds staring into the mists, he turned to Chewie and uttered something Leia couldn’t hear. Chewie roared softly and shook his head in what seemed to be disagreement. Han argued back instantly and it took another couple of moments spent bickering before Chewie finally slouched and let out an acquiescent whine. Han clapped Chewie on the shoulder and then turned and began making his way towards where Leia was standing. She expected Chewie to follow close after Han, but he didn’t. Instead, he turned and headed back up the ramp of the Millennium Falcon.

Leia couldn’t help the confused frown that crossed her face as Han neared her. He obviously noticed her expression, as he quickly explained, “Chewie’s gonna stay behind with the ships and keep an eye out for Imperials. He’ll let us know if there’s any trouble.”

“Okay,” Leia murmured, her frown disappearing as she realised that wasn’t such a bad idea. She turned and followed Han as he began to cross the bridge. “What were you doing by the edge?”

“Just wanted to see how far down it went,” Han replied. He shot a glance at the mist curling up onto the bridge. “I couldn’t see too far, though. The mist is too thick.”

“I’m sure it’s a long drop,” Leia commented, also glancing down over the edge of the bridge. “You wouldn’t want to fall.”

Han hummed in agreement.

 

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A tremor of excitement rolled down Luke’s spine as he watched the Rebels from his vantage point on the roof of the outpost building. He was crouched low in the corner where the barrier that lined the rim of the roof was most intact. His cloak was wrapped tightly around him and his hood was drawn low, so if someone decided to look his way, they wouldn’t be able to distinguish him from the dark features of the outpost roof.

Luke’s eyes travelled along the line of soldiers making their way across the bridge. They held large, intimidating blasters in their hands, loaded and ready for action. They obviously had an idea of what was waiting for them inside the outpost. Luke grinned. The fight ahead would be the best one yet. But that wasn’t what he was most looking forward to—far from it, in fact. Luke turned his gaze back to the landing platform and his grin spread into a positively predatory smirk as he laid eyes on his main source of excitement.

Leia.

Luke’s eyes travelled up and down her fatigue-clad form. It felt like an age since he had seen her, yet in reality it hadn’t even been two months. She looked much the same as she had when he had last seen her on Arka III—thinner now, perhaps—but Luke knew that she was a completely different person to who he had thought she was back then. She had lied to him, falsely stated that she trusted him and then left him to the mercy of the Imperials where he had been tortured and abused for days. It wasn’t that he hated where he was now—he actually felt quite at home with Vader and the Imperials—he just hated that he hadn’t seen through her sooner. In a way, he was almost thankful that he had ended up in Vader’s hands because, unlike Leia, Vader had been honest with him, shown him the truth about the princess. 

And now here she was right in front of him. Luke’s hand itched for his lightsaber. He wanted more than anything to go down there and end this right now—make her pay for her betrayal—but he stayed his hand.

If he had learned anything from his time with the Imperials, it was that there were things much worse than death.

Luke turned his attention back to the scene in front of him and instantly he was filled with an emotion he wasn’t quite sure how to describe as a tall, familiar smuggler stepped into his line of sight.

Han.

Luke wanted to be angry at him—wanted to feel the same level of hatred as he did towards Leia—but he just  _ couldn’t _ . There was absolutely no reason for Luke to feel contempt for his old friend. After all, Han had been encased in carbonite for a year. He hadn’t been involved in the Arka III debacle and he hadn’t had anything to do with Luke ending up in the hands of the Imperials. Luke shifted uncomfortably on the spot as he struggled to come to terms with his emotions. As much as he hated to admit it, he was very much relieved to see his friend alive and walking.

And what would  _ Han _ think when he saw  _ Luke _ alive and walking? After all, the Alliance thought he was dead and a traitor—of which, only one was true of course. Surely someone would have had to break the news to him after the rescue on Tatooine. How had he reacted? Luke felt queasy at the thought. He remembered how he had felt after discovering Han’s fate on Bespin. He could only imagine how Han had felt hearing the news that his friend had been killed.

His friend… Luke couldn’t help himself but wonder if they’d still be able to  _ be _ friends once Han discovered he was alive. He sorely hoped so—Han had been like a brother to him—but given the circumstances… it was very unlikely. If they had told Han that he had been killed, then they had undoubtedly told him that he had died a traitor. Whether or not Han had believed that, Luke wasn’t sure. But it would ultimately be proved true once they were reunited, even though the circumstances of Luke’s betrayal were different to what the Alliance thought.

But Luke’s momentary hopes and happiness regarding his old friend were swept away the second Han stepped close to Leia and engaged her in a brief conversation. Luke’s fists curled as doubt seeped into his mind. He had been wrong about Leia. What if he had been wrong about Han too? What if Han had known all along about Project Cataclysm? What if he had kept that from him as well? Had he  _ really _ trusted Luke and considered him a friend? Or were they all too scared of what he was capable of to even consider trusting him, let alone actually think of him as a friend.

Luke’s gaze turned fiery as he watched Han and the princess make their way across the bridge and regroup with the soldiers. Well, they  _ should _ be scared, Luke thought bitterly as he turned his attention to the Rebel troops. He breathed in deeply and extended his senses towards them, searching for the undercurrents in their minds. He smiled quietly to himself as he poked around. The troops would be easy enough to control if he needed.

He was about to withdraw from their presences when he paused for a moment, considering. A quick glance at Han and Leia made up his mind and he carefully pulled at a couple of strings. He didn’t need to make too many changes to the Rebels’ minds—just enough so that he would be able to control them with a simple nudge rather than a full blown command if he needed. He had originally considered using them to get to Project Cataclysm but that wasn’t necessary any more. He had Princess Leia in his sights. She was the key to the Project and he would get his answers from her personally.

He finished up the manipulation and slowly withdrew from the minds of the soldiers, leaving none the wiser. He brought his vision back into focus and was surprised to see that the band of Rebels were nearing the side of the building.

Luke’s insides squirmed with excitement. It was about to begin.

 

.

.

.

 

Leia held up her hand as they neared the front of the building and everyone came to a halt. Sticking close to the wall, she took a couple of steps forward, then peered around the corner to get a glance at the doorway. She pulled back slightly, expecting a laser blast to fly at her, but when none came, she peered out again and her brow creased as she looked at the badly scarred doorway.

Leia moved forward, ignoring the quiet protests coming from Han, and trailed her hand along the cold, metal lining of the front wall. It was riddled with scorch marks and holes from laser blasts and when Leia pulled her hand away, she found that it was covered in black powder. She tried to brush it off on her fatigues, but the residue was stubborn and for the most part didn’t want to budge. She sighed and was about to report back to her troops when a glint of silver caught her eye.

She bent down slowly and reached her hand out towards the small disc on the pavement in front of her. She knew better than to pick it up, so she just trailed her fingertips over the divots on the outside. From her quick examination, she decided that it was a smoke grenade and from the warmth that entered her fingers, it had likely been set off within the past hour.

Leia stood up quickly and returned to her troops.

“The Imperials have been here,” she whispered quickly. “There was a fight at the doorway. No bodies, but plenty of laser blasts so there must have been casualties. The fight was recent. It’s been less than an hour. They’re still in there and they’re waiting for us.”

“Were there any lightsaber marks?” asked one of the troops, eyes wide with obvious trepidation.

Leia shook her head. “Not that I could see, but that doesn’t mean he’s not here.”

Some looks were passed around the group. Everyone knew that the odds of going up against a Sith and winning were slim. Leia understood their fear all too well. She had encountered Vader a number of times now and she would not go up against him willingly. But at least Vader hardly ever fought in person on the battlefield—he always sent his stormtroopers to do his dirty work. This apprentice of his, however... He had killed countless Rebel troopers by his own hand. Many had fallen prey to his lightsaber or the return of their own blaster bolts, but some had met an even worse fate in the form of a brutal Force assault. Broken bones and crumpled bodies… This Sith was certainly not to be messed with. And the fact that he had taken out the  _ entirety _ of Jabba’s palace  _ by himself  _ showed just how powerful he was. Powerful, bloodthirsty and merciless.

Leia squared her shoulders and readjusted her grip on her blaster. It was almost suicidal to go inside and take the chance that Vader’s apprentice would be waiting for them, but they had to. They had to start fighting back and defending the outposts, otherwise the Empire would discover that the codes were useless and the entire failsafe system would be for nothing—and the men at the other outposts would have died for nothing. She couldn’t live with that on her shoulders.

“We’re going in on the count of three,” Leia said, her heart pounding in her chest. “If any stormtroopers come at you, shoot to kill, but if Vader’s apprentice shows, don’t shoot. He can send your blaster bolts right back at you. It’s better to retreat than get killed. Do you understand?”

There were solemn nods from around the group. 

“Alright, then. On my count,” she said, turning to face the doorway. “Be careful and if it comes to it, don’t go down without a fight.” She took a deep breath. “Three, two, one, now!”

They rounded the corner and entered the building quickly and quietly. The instant she was through the doorway, Leia dropped behind the nearest shelter she could find and raised her blaster. Everyone else did the same. 

They waited silently but no blaster bolts came at them nor could they hear any movement from further inside the building. Leia glanced across the room to where Han was crouched behind a flipped desk. He caught her eye, then nudged his head in the direction of the interior. She gave him a nod.

Han raised himself slightly on his haunches and lifted his blaster to eye level. Then he slowly peered over the top of the desk and scanned the area in front of him. Deciding it looked good, he started to get up fully, but suddenly a laser blast sizzled past his head and he dropped back to the floor in an instant, cursing silently.

Leia peered over the top of the box she was hiding behind, then quickly ducked back as she spotted the trooper that had fired at Han. Flicking the safety off, she lifted her blaster and took a deep breath. Then in the space of two seconds, she stood up and fired two shots at the stormtrooper. Her aim was perfect and the trooper’s armor exploded in a burst of flame. He fell to the floor, dead.

Everyone took that as the cue to press forwards. They moved quickly into the next room, weapons raised, and suddenly the air around them was alight with laser fire.

Leia dropped to the floor and rolled quickly, easily dodging the two blasts that sizzled her way. She pulled herself up into a crouch and snapped off a couple of shots at the nearest stormtroopers. They fell with muffled screams, but she didn’t have time to watch as another blaster bolt was coming at her and she was forced to duck behind a toppled cabinet. Leia took a couple of seconds to catch her breath, then turned and started firing again.

The chaos continued for a number of minutes. Blaster bolts whipped around the room, painting the walls with light and illuminating the fallen. Leia couldn’t see how many Rebels had been killed or badly injured, but it seemed that they currently had the advantage. The amount of fire from the stormtroopers’ end was steadily decreasing and the amount of agony she was feeling through the Force was declining. But that didn’t mean it didn’t affect her, however. 

Leia leaned her head back against the fallen cabinet and squeezed her eyes shut as she struggled to keep the overwhelming emotions of the dying from collapsing her mental shields. She balled her hands into fists and dug her nails into her palms, forcing the pain of everyone else out and her own pain in. 

She struggled that way for a number of minutes until everything seemed to stop and her eyes were forced open. She gasped for breath and unclenched her fists, reeling in the suddenly pain-free feeling. It took her a couple of seconds to regain proper focus, but when she did, she looked around the room and noticed that no one was firing.

She picked herself up slowly and looked over the scene. A number of Rebels were lying motionless on the floor, but the rest were relatively uninjured. Leia’s eyes shot to Han and he gave her a nod to indicate that he was okay. 

Breathing deeply, she turned to look for Lasdon, the man with the scanner.

“Are there any more in the building?” she asked hurriedly, not willing to put her blaster away in case there were indeed more stormtroopers around.

Lasdon shook his head. “I don’t know,” he replied. “The scanner was destroyed in the fight.”

Leia cursed softly and turned to look at the area in front of them. Fallen stormtroopers littered the floor but beyond that was a corridor—a dark corridor that could lead to a second ambush, maybe even something worse. As Leia stared down the corridor, the shadows seemed to twist and distort, forming hands that reached out and tried to pull her in. She shivered. She didn’t want to go in but...

“We need to make sure,” she said after a moment’s hesitation. She turned to look at her troops. “Those who are still capable of fighting, come with me. We’ll return for the dead and the wounded later.”

Grunts of affirmation resounded around the room as the Rebels started picking themselves up and brushing themselves off. Han took this opportunity to hurry over to her. He grabbed her softly by the arm and leaned close as he whispered, “Do you think…?”

Leia looked into Han’s wide eyes as they flickered towards the corridor. She knew what he was asking without him having to finish the question.

“I don’t know,” she replied quietly. “Maybe he’s in there, maybe he’s not, but we have to make sure there aren’t any more stormtroopers hiding around the base because the instant we turn our backs they’ll make easy targets out of us.”

Han nodded slowly, obviously thinking the same thing. Leia gently pulled her arm free of his grip and made her way to the entrance of the corridor. She stared inside for a moment, reaching out as far as she dared with the Force, but she couldn’t sense anything. 

Taking a deep breath, she lifted her blaster and was about to go in when she was pulled back by Han. She threw him a scowl but it wasn’t received. He was too busy gesturing the troops forward.

“Half of you go in first,” he whispered to them quietly. “Leia and I will follow, then the rest of you take up the rear. Got it?”

The group nodded. Leia was about to protest but the first half of the troops were already shuffling past her into the corridor, so instead she continued to scowl at Han.

“Forgive me for trying to protect you, sweetheart,” Han commented dryly as he noticed her look. He laid his hand on the small of her back and steered her into the corridor. “Let’s go.”

Leia couldn’t tell how far the corridor went, but as soon as she took a couple of steps inside she was instantly surrounded by inky darkness. The lack of light was almost unnatural. Surely the light from the other room would spill in further than this. But when Leia turned to look behind her, all she could see was darkness. She shivered.

They made their way slowly down the corridor, weapons lifted and senses alert. A couple of troops had switched on flashlights, although the artificial light only made it a metre or so in front of them before it was consumed by the shadows. Leia stared, eyes wide, as she tried to listen to the Force. She moved slowly, placing one foot in front of the other. And then she felt it.

It started as a cold chill down her spine. The hairs on the back of her neck lifted and her breath appeared to turn to mist in front of her. She inhaled sharply, coming to an abrupt halt in the middle of the corridor. Han turned around instantly to check on her but she didn’t hear his words. Her ears were ringing and her pulse was throbbing loudly near her temples. 

She turned around slowly. The troops behind her had stopped also, but she didn’t even see them. 

She just saw  _ him _ .

A dark shadow in the already dark corridor.

She stared, wide-eyed, for a couple of moments, her breath caught in her throat. She knew she shouldn’t be as scared as she was—he was just a person, after all.

No, she instantly corrected herself. He wasn’t a person at all—he was a monster and a murderer—and he effectively had them cornered. That was why she was scared.

But that was also the reason she had to fight.

Leia lifted her blaster and pointed it at Vader’s apprentice. Everyone else quickly did the same as they realised with startled gasps who was behind them.

A chilling silence spread rapidly over the group as they stared down the Sith. No one made a move or said a word—they were all too frightened to do so. Leia’s hand was growing clammy around the grip of her blaster, but she didn’t know what to do. Her action had seemed to stifle her fear for the time being, but now all she was left with was a cautious uncertainty. Attack would be foolish, but this standoff would drive them crazy if it went on for much longer. Leia shifted slightly on the spot.

“I’m glad you finally decided to show up,” came the voice of Vader’s apprentice. His words sliced through the uneasy silence like a vibroblade, but did nothing to dispel the fear in the air. If anything, the tension in the corridor seemed to triple as his dark tones twisted and echoed in a manner that was entirely unnatural. Leia readjusted her grip on her blaster. “I’ve been looking forward to this moment.”

“You’re going to pay for what you’ve done—for all the men you’ve killed,” Leia responded. Her tone was sharp and her voice was steady. Her fear was under control for the moment. “You won’t get away with this.”

There was silence from the other end of the corridor and Leia squinted into the darkness to try and get a better glimpse of Vader’s apprentice. But all she could make out were shadows upon shadows. Her heart skipped a beat as she wondered whether the Sith was still there, but then a slight movement in the darkness caught her eye and she sighed quietly.

But her relief was short-lived for a sudden violent  _ snap-hiss _ shattered the silence and the corridor was instantly lit up in red light. The figure of Vader’s apprentice was cast into sharp relief as the glowing red blade was lifted in the air and pointed towards the group of Rebels. A couple of the troopers took a step back in shock, others just seemed to jolt in surprise at the sudden ignition of the weapon. Leia didn’t even blink, but her grip on her blaster tightened.

“Oh, I think I will,” hissed the Sith in a dangerously low voice.

Then he raised his hand and suddenly the troops closest to him stiffened. Leia lowered her blaster an inch as she looked at her soldiers in concern. A moment of silent stillness passed.

Then the troops turned and suddenly all of the blasters in the room were pointed at her and Han. Han cursed loudly.


End file.
